Team Herald
PANJIM: Opposition parties united in the State on Monday and urged the Election Commission (EC) to immediately scrap the postal ballot reported till date and call for fresh one-day polling through EVMs for free and fair voting. The opposition parties have also demanded re-polling at constituencies, where hundreds of military personnel voted alleging that their names were added in the electoral roll in the last-minute, without verification as per the law.
A three-member delegation — All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Girish Chodankar, Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary Avinash Bhonsle this afternoon held a meeting with the EC team chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Dr Nasim Zaidi, and demanded that the counting of votes be held on EVMs as well as VVPATs simultaneously, as there is possibility of tampering with EVMs.
Later, speaking to media Chodankar said the ECI was appraised about the 35-day-long period granted for postal ballot and how it is benefiting the ruling BJP, who have been provided with the PB marked rolls by the Chief Electoral Office (CEO).
“We told EC team that the postal balloting of over 35 days granted to these service voters defeats the purpose of free and fair elections. BJP party candidates are threatening and influencing the voters,” he said.
The delegation charged CEO of leaking serial numbers of
postal ballots to BJP, who in-turn are misusing it to threaten and influence government employees. “We have demanded that the postal ballot held so far be scrapped and fresh polling be held through EVMs,” Chodankar said.
There are total 15,590 postal ballots with last date for casting vote being till 8.00 am on March 11. The CEO has called for a meeting of all party and the district administrators on Tuesday to discuss on the concerns raised by the political leaders.
Bhonsle said we have also demanded that the re-polling be held in all those constituencies where the military personnel voted in large numbers without following the procedure. “As per the rule, the block level officer has to verify whether the military personnel is a voter of a particular State and should get a consent from the concerned CEO. However, in Goa, the procedure has not been followed,” he stated.
The military personnel were allowed to vote in Navelim, Ponda and Bambolim (Panjim) constituencies.
The delegation has also sought special audit of the election expenditure in Goa, following allegations that the State machinery spent whopping Rs 57 crore.
