Anger mounts over Goa’s decision to hold local polls defying coronavirus advisories

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement about the Janata Curfew on Sunday, chief minister Pramod Sawant after a late-night meeting with top officials on Thursday agreed to defer the elections but only by two days.

The Goa government’s decision to hold local body elections despite stringent advisories recommending social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic has caused an uproar in the state, with political parties and civil society questioning the decision to defer the poll by just two days.

Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant (Ajay Aggarwal/HT photo)

Elections to elect zilla parishad (district panchayat) representatives were initially scheduled to be held on March 22.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement about the Janata Curfew on Sunday, chief minister Pramod Sawant after a late-night meeting with top officials on Thursday agreed to defer the elections but only by two days.

The elections are now scheduled for March 24.

Goa has not reported any case of the novel coronavirus so far but more than 130 people have been kept under quarantine.

Leading the charge was Vijai Sardesai, the leader of the Goa Forward Party who accused the state government of treating the Janata Curfew as a “one-day event”.

“This is a drill in social distancing. It is considered as the only way to tackle this global pandemic of coronavirus. Those who took this lightly we have seen how they have ended,” Sardesai said.

“The chief minister is looking at the Janata Curfew as a one-day event and to make it successful he has postponed the elections by two days. If you go by the chief minister, he appears to be taking coronavirus very casually,” he said.

“It appears that the government is only interested in politics and is not at all bothered about the health of the people. Public health is the least of the concerns of this government which is incidentally headed by a doctor,” Sardesai added.

The Goa Forward Party is not contesting the local elections.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is contesting the elections and has fielded several candidates, also criticised the government’s decision.

“Is Goa going to be safe from the Covid-19 after the Janata Curfew?. Dear@PMOIndia, pl tell @BJP4Goa guys to learn to practice what is preached. #JantaCurfew is meaningless in situations like this (sic),” Elvis Gomes, the AAP’s state convener, said.

Pramod Sawant also faced opposition from within the party with the son for former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, Utpal Parrikar, questioning the preparedness and willingness of the government in going ahead with the elections.

“So do all voters entering booths get quarantined if one of the voters is COVID19 positive? What is the protocol here? Anyone?” Utpal asked.

The state government is also facing a legal challenge to its decision to go ahead with the polls with Bombay High Court at Goa scheduled to hear a petition in this regard later in the day.

The civil society, too, has erupted against the decision with calls being shared on social media to boycott the polls.

“Being a doctor, he disregards the intensity of the coronavirus. He seems to be snubbing the PM, who is pleading for a war against coronavirus. He attends crowded election meetings, endangering so many lives,” Viriato Fernandes, the leader of a civil society organisation, said.

“Municipal elections in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, MP have been postponed and our doctor postpones (the elections) by two days,” he added.

The elections are being opposed even by poll officials who have argued they are being placed at risk by being forced to conduct elections when the atmosphere is not conducive.

India said on Friday 206 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Twenty states and Union territories are now affected in India by Covid-19, the Union health ministry said.

Maharashtra and Kerala are the worst affected states with more than 50 and 28 cases respectively so far.

Four people have succumbed to the fast-spreading respiratory illness across the country, according to Union health ministry data.

HIGHLIGHTS

Elections to elect zilla parishad (district panchayat) representatives are now scheduled for March 24.

Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai, the leader led the charge against the state government, said it was treating Janata Curfew as a one-day event

Goa has not reported any case of the novel coronavirus