 "Sanjay Raut")
Raut claimed BJP staff will likely be appointed within the ECI | File picture
A day after Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the Election Commission of India is not an autonomous watchdog, however works as an prolonged department of the ruling BJP.
The opposition NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar stated Goel’s sudden resignation forward of the Lok Sabha polls appeared suspicious.
Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days earlier than the anticipated announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
His tenure was until December 5, 2027, and he would have grow to be Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar’s retirement in February subsequent 12 months.
“Whether the ECI exists or not, it has no meaning especially after how it has given orders under BJP’s pressure in the cases of Shiv Sena and NCP splits, completely in violation of the 10th schedule,” Raut claimed whereas speaking to reporters.
“The ECI is not the autonomous watchdog it used to be in the time of TN Seshan, but works as an extended branch of the BJP,” the Rajya Sabha member from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) additional claimed.
He was responding to a query on Goel’s resignation because the election commissioner.
Goel’s resignation got here inside a month of Anup Pandey’s retirement because the election commissioner, leaving CEC Rajiv Kumar alone within the three-member election panel.
Raut claimed BJP staff will likely be appointed within the ECI.
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) nationwide spokesperson Clyde Crasto stated the sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, forward of the Lok Sabha polls, seems suspicious.
Did Arun Goel resign as EC as a result of variations with CEC or Modi govt: Congress
A day after Arun Goel resigned as election commissioner, the Congress on Sunday requested whether or not he did so as a result of any variations with the chief election commissioner or the Narendra Modi authorities.
Congress common secretary Jairam Ramesh requested whether or not Goel resigned over private causes as cited by him in his resignation letter or to contest the Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket like former Calcutta High Court decide Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
“The resignation of Arun Goel as Election Commissioner final night raises three questions.
“Did he actually resign over differences with the Chief Election Commissioner or with the Modi Government, which does the front-seat driving for all supposedly independent institutions? Or did he resign for personal reasons? Or did he, like the Calcutta High Court Judge a few days back, resign to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket,” Ramesh requested in a publish on X.
The Congress chief stated the Election Commission has for eight months now refused to satisfy with INDIA events on the problem of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) that’s so very important to forestall “electronic voting manipulation”.
“Each passing day in Modi’s India deals an added blow to democracy and democratic institutions,” he additionally stated.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, nevertheless, didn’t elaborate a lot when requested about Goel’s resignation and stated one has to attend to see what he does within the coming days.
“I was thinking that after the high court judge resigned and joined the BJP the next day and started abusing the TMC. It shows that the BJP has appointed people with such mindset. Now the election commissioner has resigned, let us wait for some time to see what he does,” he stated when requested about Goel’s resignation.
Goel resigned on Saturday, days earlier than the anticipated announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
His tenure was until December 5, 2027, and he would have grow to be Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February subsequent 12 months.
According to a Law Ministry notification, Goel’s resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu with impact from Saturday. It was not instantly recognized why he stepped down.
Goel was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He joined the Election Commission in November 2022.
Following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Goel’s resignation, the three-member EC now has just one member — CEC Rajiv Kumar.
First Published: Mar 10 2024 | 1:18 PM IST
