PANJIM: At a time when new COVID-19 cases in Goa have seen a sharp decline, the State Election Commission (SEC), citing apprehensions with regards to the possible spread of corona virus cases, has announced the postponement of the elections to 11 municipal councils and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) by three months, till April.
State Election Commissioner Chokha Ram Garg, in a circular issued on Monday said that elections to the 11 municipal councils, CCP, by-elections to different wards of various village panchayats and the election to the Navelim zilla panchayat constituency in South Goa have been postponed for a period of three months, that is till April or the election date which may be determined by the Commission, under section 243K and 2432A of the Constitution of India.
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The elections to the 11 municipalities were due in October 2020, however, in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases, the elections were postponed by three months. This is the second postponement of the polls. The elections to the councils, along with the polls to the CCP, were likely to be held in March as the five-year term of the Panjim City Corporation ends in mid-March.
The State government had asked SEC to hold municipality polls and CCP elections together, in order to avoid a prolonged period of code of conduct, which would result in halting development works and allied activities
Garg said that the SEC received a letter from department of Urban Development on January 12, specifying the concern of congregation of crowds during the campaign
period, which may have implications on management of COVID-19 and requested to reconsider the date for holding the elections to 11 municipal councils and CCP.
“The Commission has given a thoughtful consideration to the concerns shown by the government regarding the congregation of crowds during the campaign period and holding all the elections together. The election process involves holding of public meetings/rallies/processions during the campaign period and enforcing the health protocols and regulating the number of participants in the gatherings, restricted as per the government instructions will be a serious issue,” Garg said.
He pointed out that though, the SEC recently conducted the elections to Zilla Panchayats on December 12, 2020, the entire pre-poll election process till the election campaigning was completed prior to the spread of COVID-19 and only the polling was held in December.
Garg said that the Commission is also conscious of the fact that the officers responsible for conduct of the elections like ROs and ARO are going to be amongst the officers who are presently working as the deputy collectors and mamlatdars, who are also engaged in the management of COVID vaccination throughout the State to be held in January-February,2021.
“It would not be appropriate to burden them with additional responsibility of conducting elections in this phase,” Garg added.
“The Commission under the prevailing circumstances is of the firm opinion that the current situation certainly presents exceptional circumstances before it and appreciates very well that there are going to be genuine difficulties in holding free and fair general elections to the 11 municipal councils and CCP at this juncture,” Garg said.
The five-year tenure of the eleven municipal councils ended on November 4, 2020. Municipal administrators are currently overseeing the affairs of the 11 municipalities. The councils of Mormugao, Margao, Mapusa, Bicholim, Cuncolim, Curchorem, Quepem, Canacona, Sanguem, Pernem and Valpoi were elected on October 27, 2015.
