Goa polls: Election Commission Chief Sushil Chandra embarks on 3-day visit to state today

Ahead of Goa polls, Election Commission chief Sushil Chandra along with a team of the Election Commission of India will embark on a three-day visit to Goa ahead of the state assembly elections due in February 2022, reported ANI. According to reports, the Chief Election Commissioner will begin his visit on December 20, Monday, and further take a stock of the poll preparedness. 

Meanwhile, Sushil Chandra will be accompanied by Election Commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey. Also, three Deputy Election Commissioners including Chandra Bhushan Kumar, T Sreekanth, and Nitesh Vyas followed by Director General Sheyphali B Sharan, director, secretary, undersecretary, and joint secretary will be a part of the 13-member team to arrive in batches from Monday onwards. 

As a part of the three-day visit, a meeting of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) has been scheduled with the police nodal officer, enforcement department, and political party representatives on Tuesday after which he will also interact with the election icons, district election officers and police superintendents. Later on Wednesday, December 22, he will hold meetings with state government representatives including the home secretary, chief secretary, Director General of Police, and others for reviewing the preparations for the upcoming polls. 

According to reports, several key topics will be raised during the meetings as political parties are looking forward to raising the issue of job scams before the CEC. Meanwhile, Chandra is also likely to address the media before concluding his visit to the poll-bound Goa.

Goa polls 2022

The coastal state which is all set to go into assembly elections next year is already prepping up for 2022 as the existing state government's tenure ends on March 15, 2022, before which a new government has to be sworn. 

Political parties including Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and others already campaigning ahead of the polls in the BJP-ruled state. 

Image: PTI/ANI