Goa Election Commission cites fears of Covid & vaccination drive; Zilla by-polls also postponed
PANAJI
Goa State Election Commission on Monday deferred the elections to 11 Municipal Councils and the City Corporation of Panaji (CCP) till April 2021. Also postponed are by-elections to different wards of different village panchayats and ZP constituency 16 - Navelim in South Goa.
The Election Commission was also of the view that many govt officials would be engaged in Covid vaccination drives being conducted across the state in January-February. To hold the polls on a single day, the poll body said that the date would be decided only after April 2021.
The general elections to the 11 municipal councils - Bicholim, Cuncolim, Curchorem-Cacora, Canacona, Mapusa, Margao, Mormugao, Pernem, Quepem, Sanguem and Valpoi which were initially fixed for October 18, 2020 were postponed by three months, which was due to expire on January 18, 2021. As CCP's five-year term was also going to expire on March 14, 2021 the Commission had earlier proposed to hold the polls on February 28, 2021.
The Commission further clarified that although the Zilla Panchayat elections were held on December 12, the campaigning for the same was conducted prior to the spread of Covid-19.
The notification issued by State Election Commissioner Chokha Ram Garg states that “The Commission has given a thoughtful consideration to the concerns shown by the Government regarding the congregation of crowds during the campaign period and holding all the Elections together."
The notification further states that, "The election process involves holding of public meetings/rallies/processions during the campaign period and enforcing the health protocols and regulating the number of participants in the gatherings, restricted as per the Government instructions will be a serious issue."
"The Commission recently conducted General Elections to Zilla Panchayats in the state on 12th December, 2O2O as the entire pre-poll election process till the election campaigning was completed prior to the spread of Covid-19 and only the polling was to beheld,” says the notification.
The Election Commission said it is also conscious of the fact that the officers responsible for the conduct of the elections like ROs and ARO are going to be from amongst the officers who are presently working as Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars respectively. And also the fact that these officers will be engaged in the management of Covid Vaccination throughout the state which will be held in the month of January-February,2021. It would not be appropriate to burden them with additional responsibility of conducting elections in this phase, it said.
The Commission under the prevailing circumstances is of the firm opinion that the current the situation certainly presents exceptional circumstances before it and appreciates very well that there are going to be genuine difficulties in holding free and fair general elections to the 11 municipal Councils and City Corporation of Panaji at this juncture, said the Election Commission
The Commission is also of the opinion that the general elections to the 11 Municipal Councils, City Corporation of Panaji 2021, by-elections to wards of different village panchayats and the election to the ZP Constituency 16 - Navelim shall be conducted together for better management and to avoid prolonged period of code of conduct if elections are taken on different dates, it added.
