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Covid-19 positive candidate in Goa goes on campaign spree, booked
Independent candidate for Goa municipal polls, Arthur D’Silva, was campaigning despite being Covid-19 positive.
Municipal polls candidate from South Goa, Arthur D’Silva, who tested positive for Covid-19, was found “moving around, campaigning and soliciting votes” on voting day in the Margao Town in South Goa and has been booked by the Goa Police for violating protocol under the Epidemic Diseases Act, officials said.
According to assistant returning officer, Prataprao Gaunker, he received information that D’Silva, despite being Covid-19 positive, was moving around, campaigning and creating fear among the locals.
Election authorities found D’Silva, who is a candidate for the municipal polls in Margao in South Goa, was found moving around, campaigning, soliciting votes. When he was stopped and questioned about his moving around despite being Covid-positive he “left from the scene.”
A case has now been registered against D’Silva who is not associated with any of the panels sponsored by the political parties and has contested as an independent cadidate.
Voting was held on Friday in five municipal councils in Goa. Amid the raging pandemic, 66.70% of people came out to vote in the five municipal elections.
The five municipal councils -- Mapusa, Margao, Mormugao, Quepem and Sanguem -- were to witness elections along with the other eleven councils in the state that went to the polls in March but the polls were delayed after the Bombay High Court at Goa asked the Goa government to ‘re do’ the reservations for failing to reserve the minimum number of seats for various groups like women, scheduled castes and others.
“Reports from all five municipalities indicate @BJP4Goa supported Panel Candidates defeat is certain. Change has begun,” Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat tweeted.
Besides the D’Silva case, the elections went smoothly with Covid-19 positive patients allowed to vote in the final hour of voting.
The voting process has been overshadowed by the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the state which has now broken several records. Counting for the polls will be held on Monday April 26.
The opposition sponsored candidates are hoping to better than the first rounds of councils where the BJP-backed candidates claimed victory in five of the six councils that went to the polls. However, the opposition is hoping for a better show this time around with the councils being represented by legislators from the opposition.
