NEW DELHI: A committee chaired by PM Modi will convene on Monday at his official residence to select the next chief election commissioner, prior to the retirement of current CEC Rajiv Kumar on February 18, according to sources quoted by PTI on Friday.
The panel will include Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The committee will evaluate candidates shortlisted by a search committee and recommend a name to the president, who will then make the appointment.
Currently, Gyanesh Kumar serves as the senior-most election commissioner, with a tenure until January 26, 2029, alongside fellow commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Previously, the senior-most EC would automatically become CEC. However, a new law enacted last year requires a search committee to shortlist five secretary-level officers for consideration by the PM-led panel.
The “Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Act, 2023” is being implemented for the first time in CEC selection, though it was previously used to appoint Gyanesh Kumar and Sandhu following Anup Chandra Pandey’s retirement and Arun Goel’s resignation.
The selection committee has authority to nominate candidates beyond the search committee’s shortlist. The president appoints the CEC and ECs based on recommendations from the PM-led panel, which includes the Lok Sabha opposition leader and a nominated Union Cabinet minister.
The law stipulates that CEC and EC appointees must be current or former secretary-level government officials with proven integrity and expertise in election management and administration.