SEC to decide on roll for CCP polls, Ponda byelection date soon: CEO

Panaji: Goa chief electoral officer (CEO) Sanjay Goel on Saturday said his office has shared the final electoral roll with the State Election Commission and that the latter would have to take a call on which roll to use for the CCP elections next month.“I am nobody to comment on municipality and panchayat elections; this is the domain of the state election commissioner,” he said in response to a question about the CCP elections being conducted based on the old electoral rolls and how those whose names were now deleted would be allowed to vote.He also said that the final roll is valid for the next assembly, parliamentary, and byelections too, and that the date for the byelection to Ponda would be notified shortly now that the final roll has been published.

Preparations have to be made as the six-month deadline to hold the election from the time the seat became vacant is approaching fast, he explained.Ponda constituency had 4,193 names deleted and 362 names added, taking its electorate from 31,758 to 27,927 in the final roll after the SIR.The seat fell vacant in Oct after agriculture minister and two-time former CM Ravi Naik, representing Ponda constituency, died at 79.