PANAJI
Congress Panaji bypoll candidate Girish Chodankar has accused the election commission of supporting the BJP at the cost of its neutrality in Panaji. Chodankar, however, has expressed confidence that the 70 per cent turnout in Panaji reflects a vote for change.
"Despite the deteriorating political scene, 70 per cent of Panaji's people stepped out to cast their vote. The trend appears to be in favour of change," Chodankar stated at Congress House after the polling ended on Wednesday.
However, Congressmen refrained from predicting the outcome of the bypoll based on trends which emerged as the polling ended.
"I will not skip the gun in declaring myself as the winner. Politicians take people's mandate for granted and declare themselves as victorious even before the EVMs have been counted," Chodankar said. Flanked by his core working team, the Congress candidate thanked his polling agents and workers. "I know that they have worked under tremendous political pressure from the ruling disposition. The BJP made full use of the government machinery in intimidating our voters and workers," Chodankar declared.
He further accused the election commission of sacrificing its neutrality at the feet of the ruling disposition.
"EC has not worked neutrally and it supported and worked with BJP government. Polling agents within the polling stations and within 200 mts of the station wore badges declaring their allegiance to Manohar Parrikar. We did not see neutrality in the working of the EC," he said.
Adv Rohit Bras de Sa, election agent of the Congress candidate expressed shock and disappointment at the failure of the EC in handling the tussle which broke out at Tonca between Congress and BJP groups.
"I was shocked when the section officer, who was supposed to take down our complaint after the incident at Tonca, hid in his car. Police officers were working for Manohar Parrikar and not to the Chief Electoral Officer,' Adv de Sa lamented.
Congress Panaji bypoll candidate Girish Chodankar has accused the election commission of supporting the BJP at the cost of its neutrality in Panaji. Chodankar, however, has expressed confidence that the 70 per cent turnout in Panaji reflects a vote for change.
"Despite the deteriorating political scene, 70 per cent of Panaji's people stepped out to cast their vote. The trend appears to be in favour of change," Chodankar stated at Congress House after the polling ended on Wednesday.
However, Congressmen refrained from predicting the outcome of the bypoll based on trends which emerged as the polling ended.
"I will not skip the gun in declaring myself as the winner. Politicians take people's mandate for granted and declare themselves as victorious even before the EVMs have been counted," Chodankar said. Flanked by his core working team, the Congress candidate thanked his polling agents and workers. "I know that they have worked under tremendous political pressure from the ruling disposition. The BJP made full use of the government machinery in intimidating our voters and workers," Chodankar declared.
He further accused the election commission of sacrificing its neutrality at the feet of the ruling disposition.
"EC has not worked neutrally and it supported and worked with BJP government. Polling agents within the polling stations and within 200 mts of the station wore badges declaring their allegiance to Manohar Parrikar. We did not see neutrality in the working of the EC," he said.
Adv Rohit Bras de Sa, election agent of the Congress candidate expressed shock and disappointment at the failure of the EC in handling the tussle which broke out at Tonca between Congress and BJP groups.
"I was shocked when the section officer, who was supposed to take down our complaint after the incident at Tonca, hid in his car. Police officers were working for Manohar Parrikar and not to the Chief Electoral Officer,' Adv de Sa lamented.
