PANAJI
Even as politicians and political parties have ramped up electoral moves and poll talk, the Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced that the current Goa legislative assembly ends its term on March 15 next year, thus implying that it could schedule the election factoring in the requirement to complete the entire process to enable constituting the next House by that date.
Along with Goa, the term-ending dates of the legislatures of four more States -- Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur -- were also simultaneously announced by the ECI.
Five years ago, assembly elections to all these four States and Goa were clubbed together and polls were held in multiple phases over a nearly two-month period in 2017. Counting of votes and declaration of results in all the five States were however completed on a single day.
Meanwhile, the ECI has also issued guidelines related to the curbs on the transfer of officers linked to election preparedness and related work.
Those officers who are directly involved with the conduct of elections in these five States are required to be posted in districts other than their home district.
Also, officers who have served in a particular area for long years are required to be shifted, according to the guidelines.
