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Goa poll likely by May

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

The Election Commission is unable to entertain the demand by a majority of Goans to postpone the state assembly polls by six months as the national parties favour elections by May-end.

Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill, during his two-day Goa visit, clearly indicated that he was helpless in this regard as President's rule in the state expires on August 9. ''The decision to extend President's rule is not in my hands,'' he said.

"The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have demanded polls by May-end. The same parties would ultimately decide in Parliament whether to extend President's rule," he told the media before leaving for Delhi on Sunday.

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party has also demanded elections by May-end. However, all other political parties as well as citizens groups have requested the CEC to postpone the polls till November.

After inaugurating an electronic voting machine demonstration centre in Panjim on Sunday morning, Dr Gill officially announced that Goa would be the first state to use EVMs in all the 40 assembly constituencies, having 1135 polling stations and covering over 800,000 voters.

Referring to the criminalisation of politics, he clarified the issue was not entirely in the hands of the Election Commission. The norm of not allowing criminals into active politics should be actually implemented by the political parties if they are really serious about putting an end to the problem, he said.

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