The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sanjay Goel, has approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking the release of the EVMs, which have remained sealed since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The machines were withheld 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 of the EVMs. Pending adjudication of the case, the machines have not been released for reuse.
“During the hearing held last week, we have requested the Court to release the EVMs in view of the elections. The court has to decide on it. Since the polls are due, the EVMs have to undergo checks,” Goel told The Goan.
As per the election protocol, the EVMs have to undergo multiple rounds of technical checks to ascertain their functionality, identify failures and determine replacement requirements. “There are over 3,000 EVMs which are locked at present. We are waiting for the Court order before proceeding further,” Goel said.
Sources indicated that if the High Court does not release the machines in time, the State may have to approach the ECI for a fresh allotment of EVMs.
The continued unavailability of such a large number of machines could pose significant logistical challenges and potentially disrupt smooth conduct of the Assembly polls. Goa has around 1,731 polling stations – 820 in North Goa and 911 in South Goa, spread across 40 Assembly constituencies.
Even as the legal proceedings continue, the CEO has initiated the groundwork for the elections by appointing Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for all Assembly segments. Under Section 13C of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Mamlatdars and Joint Mamlatdars have been designated as AEROs to assist in electoral roll-related work.
The term of BJP government ends on February 15, 2027, necessitating elections before that date. However, political circles are abuzz with speculation that Goa could witness early polls in November or December this year to avoid a possible overlap with the nationwide population census exercise scheduled to commence in February next year.
