TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Many voters who wanted to exercise their right to vote NOTA (None of the above) in the Zilla Panchayat elections were in for a rude shock when they were not allowed to do so at many polling stations, triggering protests from political parties and NGOs.
Taking strong objection, Goa Su-Raj Party (GSRP) secretary Savio Rodrigues said the party will take-up the ‘No NOTA’ voting option at the Goa Zilla Panchayat Elections with the Election Commission of India and will also knock the doors of the High Court. “When GSRP raised the issue with the State Election Commission, they simply brushed the issue raised by saying there is no NOTA this time,” Savio said. “The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement in 2013 had directed the Election Commission to reserve a slot on the ballot or EVM for ‘None of the Above’. No such slot or ballot paper was found at polling booths for the ZP Elections. This is illegal and also amounts to violation of Supreme Court order,” Rodrigues expressed further.
Goans for Goa too termed the elections as illegal in violation of SC order.
