Goa Congress seeks top poll officer’s transfer

Panaji, May 16 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday reiterated its call for the ouster of Goa Chief Electoral Officer Kunal, ahead of the May 19 Panaji Assembly by-election, citing fears that the poll panel and the ruling BJP may create a law and order situation like the one playing out in West Bengal.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello said the Congress had already urged the Election Commission to remove Kunal as the CEO Goa, alleging that the official had been partial to the BJP during the April 23 Lok Sabha elections and by-elections to three Assembly constituencies.

"We demand once again that Kunal should be removed as the CEO at the earliest because he has been partial to the BJP," D'Mello said.

"The BJP and the CEO have come together to harass the Congress. Don't be surprised if they together create a law and order situation before the elections on May 19, like what is going on in (West) Bengal."

On May 2, the Congress wrote to the Election Commission seeking removal of Kunal.

The complaint to the EC came soon after the office of the Goa CEO issued a press statement which said that during the polling for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat on April 23, a malfunctioning electronic voting machine had polled votes in favour of the Congress and not the BJP.

The statement had followed a complaint by Aam Aadmi Party convenor for Goa Elvis Gomes, who had claimed that the faulty EVM had been erroneously crediting votes to the BJP.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)