Parties want polling by EVMs for service voters

PANAJI: Congress, NCP, MGP, Goa Su-Raj Party, Goa Vikas Party and Goa Forward Party met on Thursday to discuss the issue of government personnel and police officials being given 35 days to cast their postal ballots and the fact that more than 600 service personnel were enrolled as general voters in the assembly constituency of Navelim without following proper procedure.All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar demanded that a team from the election commission of India be sent to Goa immediately to look into these ‘lapses’ including the special facilitation camp being held to assist the casting of postal ballots, the issue of serial numbers leaked to political parties and to look into the expenses by the CEO. On behalf of the other opposition parties, he also demanded that a day be fixed, the postal ballots be completed and the ECI suo moto cancel the postal balloting and hold re-polling using EVMs.Chodankar said the parties were not against postal ballots but stated that keeping the voting lines for postal ballots open for over 35 days was careless, imprudent and injudicious on the part of the election commission, leading to complaints of intimidation, luring and threatening of voters.The parties also demanded an explanation from the ECI regarding the provision, if it exists, granting a special facilitation camp for postal balloting.Goa Forward spokesperson Durgadas Kamat highlighted that 642 service personnel’s names were enrolled as general voters deliberately on the behest of a cabinet minister from Delhi. NCP spokesperson Avinash Bhonsle said that the time lapse gave the government enough time to influence voters.Goa Su-Raj Party general secretary Inacio Vas stated that the booth-level officer in Navelim wasn’t permitted to carry out verification of the service voters whose names were included as general voters in part 18 and 19 where the commandant officer instead verified their records. “Under which law is this permitted? Will the 642 voters also be permitted to vote in the panchayat elections for Aquem Baixo which has nine wards? Two wards will be completely overtaken by them,” he said.Goa Suraksha Manch too lent their support to a re-poll for all postal ballot voters.