Vijai Sardesai distributing seeds to the farmers of Fatorda on Sunday. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai has dashed off a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India with a request to consider extending the scope of prioritisation of vaccines to include the general public and eligible voters in all the states gearing up for elections in 2022.
Speaking to reporters after distributing paddy seeds to the farmers of Fatorda on Sunday, Sardesai said that following a unanimous resolution passed during a meeting of the party’s State Executive held on Saturday, the party has asked the CEC for priority in vaccinations for all those in poll-bound states.
In his letter Vijai pointed out that amidst the long drawn Covid pandemic affecting the country, Goa and the entire nation is reeling under the second wave which is bound to severely and negatively impact the capacities of the ECI to hold the upcoming assembly elections in those states.
He pointed out that the recently held assembly elections clearly showed how political rallies and other such gatherings failed to adhere to the prescribed Covid control norms resulting in them being super-spreader events which threw the pandemic out of control.
The GFP chief urged the ECI to consider expanding its scope of prioritisation of vaccines to include both doses of the vaccines. “States that are due for polls in 2022 should go into elections only if every eligible voter is double vaccinated”, he said, adding “the Goa Forward Party firmly believes that all Goans and Indians should be exercising their right to vote safeguarded by the vaccines and by Covid determined protocols.”
Sardesai further said that currently the Union government as well as most state governments has already opened up the vaccination for all eligible adults over 18 years of age which is also the eligible voting age.
“The reality of the pace of vaccination seems to be primarily dependent on the availability of the vaccine “ which could again drastically impact the way elections are held”, he said, adding “the GFP hopes that a prioritized vaccine drive, allocation of more doses for poll-bound states along with all other control protocols deemed appropriate by health experts and the ECI would significantly help reduce the risk the spread of coronavirus.
Commenting on the extension of Covid curfew in the state, Sardesai said the lockdown seemed just being implemented for name sake, with the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant going about holding functions and programmes. “The government seemed manipulating the Covid numbers. They are reducing the testing and hence less number of cases. Deaths are still taking place. There should be zero death rate in the state”, he said.
