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India’s second-highest ranked election commission official, Arun Goel, has resigned, according to the justice ministry, just days before the anticipated announcement of general elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third term.
Goel’s resignation on Saturday leaves the Election Commission of India with only one of its three top officials to oversee what is expected to be the largest democratic exercise in human history, with nearly a billion people eligible to cast ballots in the elections, likely to be held in April-May.
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The Ministry of Law and Justice announced that Indian President Droupadi Murmu had accepted Goel’s resignation, but no reason was provided for his departure. While sources cited by NDTV news network mentioned “personal reasons” as the cause for Goel’s resignation, the official reason remains undisclosed.
The impending general elections, expected to be announced next week, will be conducted in multiple phases. K.C. Venugopal, general secretary of the main opposition Congress party, expressed concern about Goel’s resignation, stating on social media, “It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections.”
Venugopal also raised questions about the transparency of the Election Commission’s functioning and alleged government pressure on constitutional institutions. The departure of Goel follows the retirement of another official last year, with the position yet to be filled.
Despite concerns raised by opposition figures, several opinion polls have indicated a favorable outcome for Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming general election. A Pew survey conducted last year found that nearly 80% of Indians viewed Modi favorably, and a February poll by YouGov showed the BJP leading comfortably in various demographics.
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