Buta in Bihar: Look what EC did in Goa

On May 31, the President’s office received a communication from the Election Commission seeking the President’s intervention to stop the ‘‘interference’’ of the Goa Governor in the electoral process.

The EC’s reference to the President was accompanied by a report of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Goa who complained on May 31 that the Governor ordered Commissioner of Excise and Collector P S Reddy and District Election Officer North Goa Nikhil Kumar ‘‘not to carry out any further raids’’ against Kumbharjua Assembly candidate Pandurang Madkaikar of the Congress and his election agent Meino Ganes for stocking liquor. Reddy, acting on a complaint made on May 29, conducted raids on them on May 30.

The report filed by the Goa CEO to the EC on May 31 says that Reddy told him about the order on the phone on May 30, and Kumar on May 31 in the presence of SP North, Collector South and JEO. ‘‘I brought this to the notice of the Chief Secretary on May 31… The Chief Secretary had spoken to me that Governor of Goa has desired that U K Kanta, DGP, be made responsible for North Goa and Shri Ujwal Mishra, DIG, be made responsible of South Goa district to supervise the SP.’’

The letter says: ‘‘I have conveyed to (the) Chief Secretary that any changes has to be done with the approval of the EC. It is submitted as per present hierarchical arrangements, below DGP, the DIG is controlling two districts. The DIG has made the security plan for (the) conduct of the election and is directly involved in operational control of the conduct of elections through two district superintendents of police. He has also chartered out a plan for control of liquour and money in the election in consultations with observers.’’

The CEO recorded his contention to Goa CS that ‘‘any change in hirearchy at this stage may have an adverse impact,’’ and marked it to the EC.

The Commission is learnt to have pointed out to the Home Ministry that it took objection to the CS comment that the CEO’s information to EC was ‘‘premature.’’ The EC conveyed that the conduct of the CS was ‘‘unwarranted’’ and the report should actually have come from the ‘‘head of permanent executive of the state,’’ to ensure level playing field to conduct free and fair election process.