Goa CM violated MCC over poll campaign meetings, claims Congress

The Congress in Goa on Monday demanded that the State Election Commission initiate action against Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, for directing the state administration on Friday to not allow public meetings ahead of the Zilla Panchayat polls on account of COVID-19, alleging a model code of conduct violation.

In a complaint to the Commission, state Congress president Girish Chodankar also said that Sawant and the ruling BJP was also ignoring his own advise, and were conducting a series of campaign meetings ahead of the March 22 polls.

"The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee takes strong objection to the statement of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that he has issued directions to the authorities not to allow pubic meetings for ZP elections. This is not only contrary to the Constitutional framework but a clear case of seeking to override the authority of the State Election Commissioner," the complaint states.

"It is also shocking that after making this statement that he issued the direction, the Chief Minister himself addressed a public gathering same day, which is posted on his personal Twitter handle, proving the strategy to block the opposing political parties from conducting public meetings but continuing to hold the same by themselves," it further reads.

Chodankar has said, that in view of the code of conduct the chief minister cannot issue an administrative "diktat" and only the State Election Commission was empowered to issue such directions.

While ordering a partial lock down of public spaces in Goa in view of the coronavirus pandemic, Sawant on Friday had urged political parties against holding large poll-related gatherings to prevent any possible spread of Covid-19.