The decision by the Election Commission of India to delete only the names of those who have acquired foreign citizenship mainly those who have obtained Portuguese nationality and whose names have been forwarded by the Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office is a step in the right direction and is an endorsement of the standard procedure, which all have followed. Thus only those whose Indian passports have been surrendered cease to have the right to vote or to contest elections. However what is the fate of those possessing the Assento de Nascimento (Birth Registration), Assento de Casamento (Marriage Registration) and the Bilhete de Identidade or the now known Cartao de Cidadao? It is known that those that possess the Cartao de Cidadao are allowed to vote in Portugal, if they register their names with the election commission in that country to be eligible to vote and contest elections. Portugal allows dual nationality but India does not.
Newspaper reports have indicated that the strength of the electorate in Goa as of now before verification is 10,84,271 eligible voters. Data also collected from the English daily indicate that 26,000 names of foreign nationals, mainly Portuguese nationals have already been deleted while 17,000 are due for deletion, thus together accounting for 43,000 votes of the electorate. Has the foreign exodus shrunk the strength of the electorate in Goa? Were there more Goan enfranchised voters in the 2012 elections? The total deletion as will occur before the next elections of 2017 will thus mean that two constituencies worth of voters have lost their franchise and this will mean a significant change in the fortune of the elected representatives in Goa, mainly due to those who have obtained Portuguese nationality.
Does this scenario affect the balance of power of the contesting parties for the 2017 Assembly elections? Only time will tell what is in store for the candidates viz-a-viz the remainder electorate that can vote to elect the new dispensation in Goa.
