Mystery surrounds abandoned voting cards of Fatorda
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 19 October 2016 23:05 ISTThe Election Commission of India has ordered an inquiry into hundreds of election voting cards found abandoned near railway track in Margao.
Incidentally, most of these cards are from Fatorda constituency.
The issue was brought to light yesterday at Malbhat while some more cards reported to have been found today near old Collectorate office in Margao.
“We have taken serious note of the incident and South Goa Collector has been told to file a report in this regard within 48 hours”, said Narayan Navati, the Joint Electoral Officer of Goa.
The Margao police have also started investigating into the mysterious manner in which hundreds of voting cards have been found thrown out in the open.
“Our probe till now reveals that most of these cards belonged to those who shifted from one ward to the other in Fatorda constituency”, says Margao PI C L Patil.
Navati however says his office would also fix the responsibility on the officer during whose tenure these cards were prepared.
He however suspects these could also be duplicate cards which election office used to maintain earlier.
“There is also a possibility of the cards being left behind while shifting the Collectorate office to the new building in Margao”, he said.
Goa Forward, the party mooted by Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardesai, however suspects the hand of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
GF spokesperson Durgadas Kamat claimed that most of these cards belong to Vijai’s supporters.
“We strongly suspect that this is a move to destroy the cards of our supporters while also deleting their names from the electoral roll”, he alleged.
Besides inquiry into the abandoned cards, the Goa Forward has also demanded yet another summary revision of electoral roll in view of this incident.