Allegations of ‘Goans with Portuguese nationality’ voting; CEO assures to act if complaints received
PANAJI
Voting for the Lok Sabha elections in Goa concluded on May 7, but concerns have now surfaced about Goans who have registered their births in Portugal and possess either the Cartão de Cidadão or a Portuguese passport. Apprehensions are that some might have participated in the voting process despite the existing Indian law criminalising such voting.
Although there are no official complaints filed with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, the office has expressed its readiness to initiate an inquiry based on any complaints it might receive.
Allegations have surfaced that certain Goans with Portuguese nationality voted as their names were not removed from the electoral rolls and neither did they voluntarily initiate the process for deletion.
A concerned citizen, Vladimir De Monte Furtado highlighted specific instances on social media stating that people who registered their births in Lisbon or those holding Portuguese passports without surrendering their Indian passports might have voted. “There are reports of such incidents in Varca, Benaulim, and other areas where names were still not removed from the electoral rolls,” he stated.
A government official, who preferred to remain anonymous, conceded the possibility of such incidents, stating that once these votes are cast, they are unfortunately counted.
In response to these concerns, CEO Ramesh Verma confirmed that no official complaints have yet been received. However, he stated that if any complaints are filed he will direct field officers for an inquiry and prepare reports.
“Upon receiving complaints, we will instruct our field officers to scrutinise the allegations and submit their findings. These will then be forwarded to the District Collectors for further verification and inquiry, after which we will take necessary action,” he said speaking to The Goan.
Verma also assured that these issues would be taken care of during the upcoming verification drive.
Speaking to The Goan, Furtado claimed that some may have been misled by a specific political party to exploit the opportunity.
“I am given to understand that some of those holding OCI status or Portuguese citizenship have voted in the Benaulim, Velim, and Nuvem constituencies... It appears that the government is aware of this issue and an inquiry may have already started,” he said, adding, ‘It’s possible that these people were intentionally misled by a political party’.
The State is currently reeling under the controversy over the issuance of revocation certificates instead of surrender certificates to Goans with Portuguese citizenship, which has led to difficulty in getting OCI status.
