Team Herald
PANJIM: The United Bahujans of Goa (UBS) on Monday asked the Election Commission of Goa (EC) not to delete the names of 27,000 Goans, who have applied for Portuguese citizenship, until the Union government decides on the dual citizenship matter.
Addressing the media, UBS President Sanjay Bharde said the government has to decide on the dual citizenship issue quickly.
“We are ready to challenge in the High Court the deletion of 27,000 Goan names from the electoral role. Goans have gone there for better future and better job prospects which are not available in Goa,” Bharde said.
He said no deletion of voters should be done as native Goans will permanently lose their voting rights.
United Bahujans of Goa further demanded that the Goa MPs take up the matter in Parliament so that Goans and future generations can stay in Goa as well as in Europe without giving up their Indian citizenship and rights under the Indian Constitution.
Bharde also stated that the Chief Electoral Officer should scrutinise the names on electoral role especially of migrants, who have registered their names to vote in Goa, because most of them hold voting rights in their native states as well as in Goa.
United Bahujans of Goa also confirmed that they are opposing the nationalisation of rivers.
Bharde added that as per their memorandum, the EC he has agreed to the use of voter verifiable paper audit trail system (VVPAT) along with the regular electronic voting machine (EVM) for the 2017 Assembly elections in Goa.
“The EVM will be used to cast the vote while VVPAT is to confirm that the elector has voted for the candidate and party symbol of his choice. With this system a slip showing the serial number, the name and symbol of the candidate will be printed leaving the voter no doubt about his secret vote,” he added.
