Goa CEO informs ECI about vacancy in Parrikar’s assembly seat
Panaji: Poll authorities in Goa have formally notified the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the vacancy created in the Panaji assembly seat following the death of its sitting MLA and former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
With this, four assembly seats have fallen vacant in the state, which has a 40-member House, and three of them will have bypolls next month.
Parrikar, 63, died Sunday after fighting a pancreatic ailment for over a year. He was cremated Monday at Miramar beach.
“We have communicated to ECI about the vacancy created due to death of Parrikar. Panaji will go for by-election, but ECI will have to decide the date,” Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kunal said Tuesday.
By-elections in three assembly constituencies Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa – will be held on April 23, the day when votes will also be cast in the two Lok Sabha seats in the coastal state.
The seat of Mapusa fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza, while Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda) and Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem) resigned to join the BJP, necessitating bypolls in the two seats. PTI