Team Herald

PANJIM: With still 7000-odd postal ballots yet to be received from government employees, deployed on the election duty, the political parties have continued their unofficial campaign by meeting the electorate and seeking their votes.  

There were total 15,590 postal ballots, of which the Chief Electoral Office (CEO) has received 8470 ballots till Saturday. The last date for casting postal ballot is morning of March 11- the counting day. The political parties have expressed fear about the possible pressure tactics that the candidates may use to influence the voters.  

Sources confirm that political parties and candidates including the ruling BJP are pressurizing the government employees and even offering bribes to get the postal ballot in their favour. While in several places, candidates are personally meeting or making phone calls to the employees, their well wishers and supporters are also approaching them for vote in their favour.  

BJP is learnt to be using the opportunity to threaten the employees stating that they will have to lose the job if not voted in their favour as BJP will come to power again and form government.  

The postal ballots will be playing a major role in those constituencies, where some heavy-weights are on shaky ground, where a narrow margin win can be expected. 

Sources at CEO confirmed that there have been allegations from political parties, independent candidates and other sections that the government servants who have been issued postal ballots have been pressurized. “But officially, we have not received any complaints,” the official said, adding that the campaigning process ended 48 hours before the polling day- February 4. 

Following the allegations, CEO has warned to initiate action under the law against anyone offering bribe or pressure or anyone accepting bribe or demanding bribe. “We have learnt that while some political outfits are indulging in pressurizing the government servants, votes are also alleged to be purchased for hefty sums,” Additional CEO Narayan Navti said in a circular issued on Thursday, last week.  

Navti has appealed people to file complaint on toll free number 1950 if anyone comes across such act by government servants.