Team Herald
PANJIM: The goof in symbol distribution for the St Cruz panchayat elections does not seem to have gone too well with the candidates.
Naresh Salgaonkar, who is contesting from ward 9 of St Cruz panchayat, on Saturday demanded that the Returning Officer (RO) be sacked after several candidates had been asked to exchange their election symbols. Salgaonkar has also threatened to move the court if the issue is not resolved.
Addressing the media, Salgaonkar said, “The Returning Officer has been irresponsible and we demand that the officer be sacked and an inquiry ordered into the matter. I have also decided to move the court if this issue is not resolved hoping to get a stay order.”
He added, “I have campaigned in the ward with the allotted symbol, printed the manifesto and election slips and have spent money. I have not signed the withdrawal of election symbol and demand that the election process be free and fair. I also petitioned the State Election Commission (SEC) for intervention to resolve the matter,” Salgoankar said.
He said that all the candidates were called by RO Sapana Bandodkar to tell them of the error in allotting the election symbol but since the candidates had already commenced their campaign they had objected.
Meanwhile, an issue of a similar nature that occurred in Curca-Bambolim panchayat is also yet to be resolved.
