The day after opting for early retirement to become an Election Commissioner, Arun Goyal has now voluntarily resigned, a move consistent with his previous record. In his nearly 40-year bureaucratic career, Goyal rarely stayed long at any post, seemingly averse to monotony. The Election Commission has now been thrown into turmoil, with the sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goyal unexpected. The President has promptly accepted the resignation, making Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar solely responsible for the entire electoral system.
No Disclosure of Resignation Reasons
So far, no reasons for the resignation have been disclosed. According to senior sources within the Election Commission, the elections are currently unaffected as the Constitution mandates the Chief Election Commissioner to conduct them, with other commissioners assisting in decision making. Goyal had been touring several states with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in preparation for the elections. Last week, he was also seen with Kumar on a trip to West Bengal.
President Accepts Resignation
Goyal resigned hastily on Saturday, and the President immediately approved it, with a notification promptly published in the Gazette. While there had been whispers of differing views between CEC Rajiv Kumar and EC Arun Goyal on certain issues, the extent of this development was unexpected. Amidst controversy and questions over Arun Goyal's appointment as Election Commissioner, the Supreme Court had also summoned his file for review.
The vacancy of one commissioner role was already known. The coming week will reveal if Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will alone announce the election program. Kumar has held the Election Commissioner position since 21 November 2022 and has served in his role for over 15 months to date.
The Supreme Court also Summons Appointment File
Apart from the Supreme Court summoning the file, there have been no reports of disputes or disagreements with the government or the Chief Election Commissioner. Arun Goyal is the second Election Commissioner to resign in the past four years, following Ashok Lavasa, who left amid disagreements with the Chief Election Commissioner and fellow commissioners and subsequently took up the Vice-Presidency at the Asian Development Bank in August 2020.
Last month, there were discussions about the government's first use of the selection committee under new law to appoint an Election Commissioner, but the process did not advance. However, in his nearly 37-year-long career, Goyal rarely held any position for an extended period. Born on 7 December 1962 in Patiala, Punjab, Arun Goyal is a 1985 batch IAS officer. His tenure at the Election Commission was until 2027. Goyal had voluntarily retired just a day before his appointment as Election Commissioner. He holds a postgraduate degree with specialization in Development Economics from Cambridge University.
Goyal, an Enthusiast for Adventure
As a senior IAS officer, he served as Secretary in the ministries of Heavy Industries and Culture. Previously, he was Vice Chairman of DDA and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Labour. As a District Magistrate, Goyal managed electoral officer duties in Ludhiana and Bathinda during multiple elections. Arun Goyal, an adventure enthusiast, has partaken in skydiving, scuba diving, water rafting, and paragliding. For now, Goyal's most significant adventure appears to be his abrupt resignation.
