Team Herald
PANJIM: The opposition Congress has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI), New Delhi to replace Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kunal as he is holding the statutory position for the last six years and his continuity will be a blot on the neutrality of the Election Commission.
The Congress has asked for an officer having unflinching loyalty to duty of holding free and fair elections in the State.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar said the party had raised the issue about the functioning of CEO Kunal, who besides being the CEO is also holding charge of some other government offices as Secretary to the government. “It is regrettable that despite expressing serious reservations over the conduct of Kunal in the past, the Election Commission has failed to take any action to replace him from the position of CEO,” Chodankar said.
He added that it is unfortunate wherein Kunal, who is from the AGMUT cadre, has been posted in Goa for the past six years which is unheard of for officers from the cadre. “Kunal has exhibited complete bias in favour of the party in power and has a prejudiced approach towards the Congress,” he said.
“Congress has lost confidence in his ability to work in a neutral manner in the conduct of the forthcoming general elections to the Goa Assembly,” Chodankar said in his letter urging the Election Commission to replace the CEO for completing over six years in office.
Last week social activist Aires Rodrigues had urged the ECI, to immediately transfer Kunal out of Goa as it would be improper to entrust him the task of holding the ensuing Goa Assembly elections.
While pointing out that Kunal had joined the Goa administration on November 16, 2015 and has been Goa’s CEO since August 3, 2016, Rodrigues sought the intervention of the Election Commission to ensure that the sanctity of the elections to the Goa Assembly scheduled early next year is not compromised.
