PANAJI
Political parties in Goa may well squirm uncomfortably in light of the latest directive of the Election Commission of India.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Wednesday said that political parties will have to provide a detailed rationale to Goa’s voters if they field a candidate with a criminal background for the upcoming 2022 state assembly elections.
The justification, Chandra told a press conference in Panaji, will have to be published in the public domain, while also adding that the Commission would crack down on hate speeches made in the course of the campaign leading up to the 2022 state assembly polls.
“Parties will have to declare to the public on their websites why they are choosing candidates with criminal antecedents. We have chosen so and so... these are his criminal antecedents and we are selecting him for these reasons and we couldn’t find anyone in that area who is more so and so and so,” Chandra told a press conference in the state capital.
Chandra is currently in Goa heading a team of Election Commission of India officials to review poll preparations in the coastal state, which is heading for elections in early 2022.
During his ongoing visit to Goa, Chandra also met with representatives of political parties, government officers and officials of enforcement agencies.
“This was happening earlier also but it was not enforced very strictly. In the past political parties gave reasons like they (candidates) have done a lot of social work in that area and that is why we have selected them,” Chandra also said.
The country’s top poll official also said that the Commission will ensure strict implementation of the norm in wake of a directive issued by the Supreme Court of India in order to ensure that voters know why a person with a tainted past has been fielded by a political party to contest elections.
“The Supreme Court asked to give the reasons and the elector can also understand the reasons why the party selected the candidate. Ultimately the party chooses the candidate but the final result is in your hand, the voter. We will be strict and when the elections are announced, we will launch an app,” he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner also said that its officials would crack down on hate speeches in the course of the campaign.
“We don’t want any hate speeches which vitiate the atmosphere and even social media will be monitored and appropriate action will be taken,” Chandra said.
“All polling stations will be webcasted. This is the first time we have started webcasting so that the booth can be real-time monitored by the commission so that impartiality of the official can also be supervised,” Chandra said.
“If there are any unwanted persons in the booth that can be noticed through the monitoring. This is the first time it is being done in any state and it is the first time it is done to maintain absolute transparency,” he
further said.
“The state assembly will expire on March 15, 2022. Elections are to be held before that for the 40 assembly constituencies out of which 39 are general and one is scheduled caste. ECI is totally committed to conducting the assembly elections in a free, fair, impartial, transparent and absolutely inducement free manner,” Chandra said.
“After reviewing the preparedness with DEOs (district electoral officers), SP and CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) and state nodal office of the police, the commission also met the nodal officers of the enforcement agencies like IT, DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), Customs, Police Railways, Airports to curb the misuse of money, drugs and freebies distribution during the election as also ensuring prompt and effective action on the ground,” Chandra said, adding that Covid-related logistics were also discussed with the state officials.
State CEO, 2 IAS officers transferred
PANAJI: Union Home Ministry has transferred Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) IAS Kunal to Delhi. MHA also transferred IAS Ankita Anand and Melaka Prasad to Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu Union territory. They all belong to AGMUT cadre. IAS Ramesh Varma has been transferred from Delhi to Goa.
