GPP firm on contesting from Bicholim
PANJIM: Goa Praja Party (GPP) on Saturday finalised Dnyaneshwar Varkhankar as the party candidate in Pernem. GPP President Pandurang Raut said, “Varkhankar is a youth SC leader from Pernem who has good support. In the next two days we will announce all our candidate names.” Asked about his candidature from Bicholim, Raut said, “We are still discussing with our alliance partner GSM, and I am firm on contesting from there.” GPP, which is in alliance with GSM, had objected to the Bicholim seat being given to MGP, claiming that Raut’s candidature had already been announced after the alliance had been formed.
GSM gets blackboard as symbol
PANJIM: The Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) with blackboard as its symbol. Speaking to Herald, GSM President Anand Shirodkar said, “GSM was registered as a political party on January 4 and now we have got blackboard as the symbol. We had provided the ECI with 10 symbols and our preference was the blackboard and too our surprise GSM got the symbol the workers wanted.” He added that the party, in alliance with MGP, will contest nine seats and that the number could change depending on the seat sharing talks once the alliance is formed. “We are expecting a formal alliance with the MGP on January 10. MGP will contest in 22 constituencies and another four will be contested by Shiv Sena therefore making an alliance of 35 seats,” Shirodkar said. Queried on Goa Praja Party’s (GPP) claims on Bicholim constituency, Shirodkar said Bicholim has been given to MGP and GPP President Pandurang Raut has been asked to contest from any other constituency. “Mayem will remain with Goa Suraksha Manch,” Shirodkar added.
96 offenders, history sheeters booked
PANJIM: Goa Police have booked 96 offenders and history sheeters since the code of conduct came into force. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti said police have arrested all the trouble makers from the respective areas under Section 107 of the CrPC. He said that the complaint mechanism of the commission is functioning very well. Of 17 complaints received, 15 have been disposed off and two are pending inquiry. According to sources there was a complaint against Goa Forward mentor Vijai Sardesai for distributing wall clocks in his constituency with a party logo. The electoral officer said the inquiry report will be submitted by the South Goa Collector by Saturday. The Commission has so far removed 8242 banners displayed by political parties and individuals which were in the violation of ECI guidelines. There was also a case booked in Sattari where liquor was seized for being stored more than the limit. As per guidelines of commission there are 3955 arms deposited. Navti said that there is an exception for certain cases like sports and shooting academy.
District, youth icons named
PANJIM: The Election Commission of India has declared the district election icon and youth icon for ethical voting. The North Goa district list includes Padma Shri Prasad Sawkar, Madhav Borkar, Dr Ajay Vaidhya, Isabel De Santa Rita Vaz, Wendell Rodrigues, Gopinath Gawas, Vishnu Shetgaonkar, Prasad Pankar and Arjuna Awardee Bramhanand Shankwalkar. The list of South Goa district election icon includes Damodar Mauzo, Minguel Carmo Fernandes, Vijaykumar Naik, Marianela Dias, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal, Guadalup Dias, Aryan Khedekar and Zubin Da Cruz. The list of youth icons of North Goa is Mukesh Ghatwal, Mandar Dessai, Nhehern Acharya and Akshada Bandekar. The list of youth icon for South Goa includes Bhakti Kulkarni and Tanisi Kirtani.
Observer to get NG sensitive stations list
PANJIM: The North Goa District Magistrate will submit a list of sensitive polling stations in 20 constituencies to the election observer. North Collector Nila Mohanan said the final list will be made public after a scrutiny by the observer.
“We have identified sensitive polling stations in the district but it has to be scrutinized by the election observer. The number of sensitive polling stations can go up in the subsequent scrutiny. A final list will be made public thereafter,” she said on Saturday. The district police are also making efforts to provide water tight security arrangements by preventing undesirable elements from creating a nuisance during the election process. North SP Kartik Kashyap said that 1165 persons have been issued notices under section 107 (security for keeping the peace in other cases) while another 41 individuals have been issued notices under section 109 (security for good behaviour from suspected persons) and 80 under section 110 (security for good behaviour from habitual offenders) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
GGEA seeks basic facilities for staff on duty
PANJIM: Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) on Saturday demanded that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the District Election Officers (DEO) ensure that inhuman treatment is not meted out to government employees on poll duty and that they are provided necessary basic facilities. Addressing the media, GGEA President John Nazareth also said there are several mistakes in the orders issued wherein the hierarchy of designations required to be followed have not been followed. “It has been reported that in few cases higher grade employees like Head Clerks have been appointed as Polling Officer No. 2 or 3 while lower grade employees like LDCs and Stenographers are posted as Polling Officer No. 1,” he said. Meanwhile, referring to a complaint by social activist Kashinath Shetye against government employees working in ministers’ offices and doing election campaign work, he said, “GGEA had requested Shetye to withdraw the complaint, however, he has refused to do so. GGEA appeals all the Heads of Departments to withdraw their departmental staff working in the offices of ministers immediately.”
