MARGAO
In a significant development ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI), New Delhi, has allotted the South Goa District Electoral Office around 1,095 Ballot Units (BUs), 1,100 Control Units (CUs) and 200 VVPATs (BEL make).
The allotment was reportedly collected by district electoral officials from the BEL factory on Thursday, as per Letter No. 5-4-2026/ELEC/1634 dated July 15, 2026, issued by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Altinho.
As the consignment is expected to arrive in Goa on July 31, South Goa District Electoral Officer Egna Cleetus has written to representatives of political parties, requesting them to remain personally present or depute authorised representatives during the opening of the warehouse.
The District EVM Warehouse, located in Room No. 17 of the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex, South Goa District, Margao, will be opened on Friday at 10.30 am, or upon the arrival of the consignment, for the receipt, scanning and storage of the EVMs and VVPATs.
The EVMs were in the news last month after Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel moved the Bombay High Court at Goa, seeking the release of the machines, which have remained sealed since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after a defeated candidate from the South Goa parliamentary constituency filed a petition alleging violations of Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines during the commissioning process.
