Team Herald
PANJIM: In line with the Bihar Assembly elections and various by-polls being held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Goa State Election Commission (SEC) is gearing up to hold the postponed Zilla Panchayat elections by the end of November or first week of December adhering to health protocol.
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Of the 50 ZP constituencies, polls will be held for 48 seats as a single nomination was received from Sancoale ZP constituency, while the Navelim ZP poll has been countermanded after the death of a candidate. The SEC will allow candidates to campaign for three-four days, before the voting date.
State Election Commissioner RK Srivastava recently met Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Chief Secretary Parimal Rai over conducting the pending elections, following the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducting polls in Bihar.
“ECI has issued elaborate guidelines on conduct of polls following COVID health norms like social distancing, wearing of mask, sanitization, etc. The detailed report will be out once the Bihar poll results are announced. Commission will accordingly move a file to government by mid-November,” highly placed sources in the government told Herald.
The five-year term of the ZPs ended on March 23, and currently administrators have been appointed.
“Commission is considering holding the polls by November end or first week of December. The COVID cases are also on decline, and COVID guidelines are also been issued by the ECI,” sources said.
The ZP polls, originally scheduled for March 15, were postponed to March 22 over a clash with the traditional shigmo festival. The date was later pushed to March 24 after the Janta curfew was announced.
In all 345 nominations were filed for the ZP elections, which are fought on party lines.
