A complaint has been filed on Tuesday by activist lawyer Aires Rodrigues with the Panaji Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) seeking the immediate deletion of the name of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar from the electoral roll of Panaji Assembly constituency.
In his complaint, the complainant alleged that the name of former Goa Chief Minister Parrikar had been “fraudulently enrolled in the Panaji Assembly Constituency at Serial No. 412 in Part No 8 showing his residential address as House No 157, Opposite Pharmacy College in Panaji.”
Adv. Rodrigues has sent a copy of his complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner of India and to Goa’s Chief Electoral Officer.
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His complaint claimed that Mr. Parrikar never ever resided at that address.
Seeking the deletion of Mr. Parrikar’s name from the Panaji electoral roll, Adv. Rodrigues has also demanded that legal proceedings for perjury amongst other offences be initiated against Mr. Parrikar as making a false declaration was an offence punishable under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act 1950.
He has alleged connivance of the staff in election office in this matter and sought deterrent action against the staff in the election office who, he said, were involved in allowing Mr. Parrikar’s name to be illegally enrolled in the Panaji electoral roll on a fake residential address.
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When contacted for his reaction on Tuesday, Mr. Parrikar preferred not to comment saying “anybody is free to lodge any complaint”.
Mr. Parrikar, who hails from Mapusa in north Goa has represented Panaji Assembly constituency for five consecutive terms. While he was enrolled in Mapusa during his first election from Panaji, he later enrolled himself in Panaji electoral rolls. Mr. Parrikar, who has been recently declared having won unopposed for Rajya Sabha from UP after he was sworn-in as Defence Minister at the Centre, is expected to vacate the Panaji Assembly seat soon.