Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu take charge as Election Commissioners

Newly appointed Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu took charge of the office on Friday at the ECI headquarters here.

CEC Rajiv Kumar welcomed the two newly-appointed Election Commissioners and emphasized the significance of their joining at the historic point when the Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to conduct the Loks Sabha elections in the world’s largest democracy.

He said that their team is set for action-packed weeks ahead.

Earlier, a notification for the appointment of the two Election Commissioners was issued by the Central government on Thursday evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three-member committee on Thursday picked bureaucrats Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as election commissioners.

The decision comes days after the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel.

The selection panel includes the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition, and a designated Union Cabinet minister. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was in the three-member panel in capacity as the opposition member. Besides the Prime Minister and the Congress leader, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the meeting.