Political circles suspect influence behind sudden changes
PANAJI
In an unusual development, 28 of the 30 booth level officers (BLOs) for the Panaji assembly constituency have been replaced.
The order naming new BLOs for 28 booths in Panaji was issued by the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (Panaji) in late April, but the concerned officials transferred and those who replaced them were served the order only last week, on Thursday.
Most are either lower division clerks (LDCs) or Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) picked from different government departments.
Interestingly, such mass transfer or changing of BLOs has been effected only in Panaji and not in any of the other 39 assembly constituencies in the State.
The SDO’s order quotes the approval for the appointments granted by the North Goa Collector, who is also the District Election Officer. The SDO has also invoked powers under section 13B (2) & 29 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 to make the new BLO appointments in Panaji.
The move to pick Panaji exclusively to effect such mass transfers of BLOs is also being viewed suspiciously in the capital’s political circles, with elections to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) due in just 10–11 months.
It also comes in the backdrop of allegations of voter list manipulation and the complicity of BLOs and higher election officials made by Opposition parties — Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — in the two most recent State assembly elections held in Maharashtra and the National Capital Territory (NCT), Delhi.
BLOs are a crucial cog in the election machinery, responsible for updating electoral rolls, and their physical verification reports are decisive in the processes for the addition and deletion of voters.
Election machinery officials are usually lower and middle-level bureaucrats drawn from the revenue department or the District Collectorates, both coming under the administrative control of Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, who represents the Panaji constituency and draws much of his electoral muscle from his hegemony over CCP politics since 2006. Monserrate could not be reached for comments.
The Opposition Congress and AAP, meanwhile, have raised suspicion of possible political interference in the mass transfers of Panaji’s BLOs.
Former bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes of the Congress called it “highly suspicious”. In a post on social media platforms, Gomes said it warrants immediate investigation by the Election Commission and demanded that the transfers be stayed until then.
AAP spokesman Francis Coelho said something is “definitely cooking”. He said his party will stay connected with Election Commission officials to thwart any attempt to manipulate the rolls by adding and deleting bogus voters.
