Political parties will have to make public their reasons for choosing candidates with criminal antecedents, says CEC Sushil Chandra

In a first for Goa, webcasting facilities and data analytics will be introduced in all 1,700-odd polling booths

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Pune:  All the political parties will have to make public on their respective websites as well as state in the media the reasons for choosing candidates with criminal antecedents, this was stated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra on Wednesday.

The CEC of Election Commission of India (ECI) was in Goa today to take stock of the poll-preparedness ahead of the Goa Assembly election scheduled early next year. Chandra, along with a team of the ECI was on a three-day visit to the coastal state where the tenure of the existing government ends on March 15 next year. The Goa Assembly has 40 seats of which 39 are in the ‘open category’ and one is reserved for scheduled castes (SC). 

The CEC further informed that in a bid to ensure transparency and the conduct of free and fair elections, webcasting facilities besides data analytics would be introduced in all the 1,700-odd polling stations in Goa.

CEC Chandra said, “Voters have the right to be well-informed of the credentials of the candidate once nominations are filed. If they have a criminal record, candidates must publish their antecedents at least three times in print or the television media.

Besides the candidates, political parties will also have to give reasons as to why they are choosing such a candidate and why they could not find a clean candidate instead of the chosen candidate.” The CEC added that the ECI, through its special cell, would be monitoring such candidates and whether or not they have been informing the electors of their criminal past.

“For the first time in the State, each and every polling station will be having web casting facilities along with data analytics, for which we have sought the help of the Indian Institute of Technology, Goa campus (IIT-Goa) to ensure real-time monitoring of the booths,” Chandra said, speaking in Panjim at the conclusion of the ECI team’s visit. 

He informed that the updated electoral roll of the State’s voters would be published by January 5, 2022 and given to all political parties. 

In keeping with the need to strictly adhere to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in the wake of the looming threat of the Omicron variant, Chandra said that the maximum voters in a booth had been reduced from 1,500 to 1,000 so that proper physical distancing could be maintained. As a result, 60 new polling stations have been created in Goa, taking the total number of polling booths to 1,722, he said. 

“We are ensuring that all polling stations should have assured minimum facilities like drinking water, toilets, shelters, ramps. We have reviewed the plan with the Chief Secretary, all Deputy Commissioners and other authorities. Additionally, all polling stations will have to be absolutely accessible keeping in mind Persons With Disabilities (PWD) voters,” Chandra said. 

Noting the high participation of Goan’s in the last two Assembly elections and the high literacy rate in Goa, Chandra said that the voter turnout had nevertheless come down to 74.95% in the 2019 by-elections, as opposed 81.21% in the 2012 Assembly polls, and 82.57% in the 2012 Assembly elections. 

He said that the ECI had directed the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to identify low-voter turnout pockets and rectify it by creating more voter awareness through booth level officers (BLOs) and filling online and offline registration forms.

The CEC informed that owing to increased voter registration drives, 30,598 new voters had been enrolled of whom 16,807 were first-time voters – a majority of whom were senior citizens and persons with disabilities. He said that till now, Goa has had 11.56 lakh eligible voters out of a total population of approximately 15 lakhs.

“Our especial emphasis will be on enrolling young voters who had completed 18 years of age and increased voter registration drives resulted in 9,804 PWDs and more that 30,000 senior citizens above the age of 80 years getting mapped. This is quite a good number for a state with a population of 15 lakh,” he said. 

During their visit, the EC team met representatives of five political parties including the All-India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP). “Their concerns dealt with senior citizens above 80 years of age and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), the timely publication of electoral rolls and the announcement of dates taking note of the festival season,” the CEC added. 

Stating that ECI would crack down sternly on any dealing narcotics, distribution of illicit cash on part of candidates or political parties or the hoarding of freebies, Chandra informed that flying squads would be constituted to monitor distribution of cash and freebies after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) sets in, at the airport, railway authorities and the Coast Guard had been directed to keep a strict vigil and watch out for such misdemeanours.