A complaint has been filed with the Election Commission of India over its appointment of pop singer Hema Sardesai as the special icon for the Goa elections. The complaint cites her links with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The complaint was addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, New Delhi, and copies were marked to the Goa Chief Electoral Officer. Ms. Sardesai has openly canvassed for the BJP in the past. She is also a relative of Mr. Parrikar and has described him in a Facebook post as “our great Hon CM”.
According to the complainant “engaging her as a Special Icon for the elections would send a wrong message to the electorate. She shared the stage at a BJP meeting during the last parliamentary elections. Making her the icon of the ECI will tilt the election campaign in favour of the BJP and bring down the independence of the ECI in terms of its fairness to conduct elections without being influenced by the ruling dispensation.”
The complainant enclosed a screenshot of the Facebook page of Ms. Sardesai and a recent interview of her in a local English language daily to “show her bent of mind.” She has been quoted in the interview as saying, “In fact, I had supported not a political party, but a personality — Manohar Parrikar — during the 2012 State assembly election. When he left for New Delhi to take responsibility as the Defence Minister, I too felt like many others, that a void was being created in Goan politics and administration.” The complainant has urged the ECI to step in to rectify this grave anomaly and remove her as Icon. Goa CEO Kunal told The Hindu , “Her association with somebody in distant past cannot be an issue. When the icons including Hema Sardesai have been selected for propagating ethical voting, they have given an undertaking to be neutral in their approach.”
