Vijai Sardesai demands probe into Goa electoral roll revision claims

Goa Forward Party chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has lodged a formal complaint with Goa's Chief Electoral Officer, calling for a time-bound investigation into alleged irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Sardesai claimed that the revision process resulted in unauthorized voter deletions alongside additions to the state's electoral rolls, including alleged listings of Nepalese nationals. He argued that foreign nationals cannot legally feature on India's electoral rolls under statutory guidelines.

Allegations of constituency voter transfers

According to an email complaint sent by Sardesai to the state's Chief Electoral Officer, more than 50 voters were reassigned from the Curtorim Assembly constituency to Fatorda despite their residential addresses remaining unchanged. The former deputy chief minister said the entries were flagged after comparing historic voter databases across multiple election cycles.

Sardesai submitted comparative voter data from Curtorim's 2012 and 2017 rolls alongside Fatorda's 2021 and 2026 lists to support his submission.

Statutory guidelines and requested actions

The complaint cites statutory frameworks including the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Under Election Commission of India protocols, voter registration must strictly correspond to legally notified constituency boundaries and verify that individuals ordinarily reside at their registered addresses.

India's official electoral administration maintains rigorous verification procedures to safeguard voter list integrity and ensure robust democratic processes across all states. Sardesai urged election officials to conduct a statewide audit across other constituencies, remove any improper entries, and take appropriate action against any procedural oversights.

To raise public awareness about checking official electoral rolls, the Goa Forward Party plans to conduct informational street plays across local constituencies.