Today in Politics: PM Modi-led panel set to pick two ECs; Kovind Committee may submit report

The Selection Committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Thursday to finalise the names of two new Election Commissioners (ECs) to fill the vacancies created in the Election Commission after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the surprise resignation of Arun Goel last Saturday.

Close on the heels of their appointment, the new ECs are expected to join their offices to help the poll body conduct the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The PM-headed panel’s meeting will be closely watched in view of the backdrop against which it is being held.

On Tuesday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the only Opposition member in the three-member panel which also includes a Union Minister nominated by the PM, wrote to the government, seeking the “dossier” containing the “bio-profiles” of the shortlisted persons “well before” the meeting, as reported by Manoj C G.

In a letter to Rajiv Mani, Secretary, Legislative Department and Department of Legal Affairs, Union Ministry of Law and Justice, Chowdhury is learnt to have referred to the process followed by the government regarding the selection of the Chief Information Commissioner, Information Commissioners, Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioners. He asked the government to follow the same procedure.

“It will be essential to have the bio-profiles of the persons shortlisted by the Search Committee well beforehand…This will enable in taking a reasoned decision in the matter. I would, therefore, request that the ‘Dossier’ containing the bio-profiles of the shortlisted persons to be considered for appointment be made available to the members well before the meeting,” Adhir stated in his letter.

In context: Earlier, the power to make the ECs’