Goa MLA Vijai Sardesai Alleges 50 Voters Shifted to Fatorda to Favour BJP, Seeks Probe

Goa Forward Party president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of benefiting from irregularities in the state's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision. He alleges that more than 50 voters were illegally shifted from the Curtorim Assembly constituency into his own constituency of Fatorda, and he has demanded an inquiry and action by the Election Commission.

The Complaint

Sardesai filed a complaint on Friday, October 16, with Goa's Chief Electoral Officer. In it, he said that more than 50 electors who were part of the Curtorim segment during the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections appear in the Fatorda electoral rolls for 2022 and 2026, the latter being the revised list prepared after the SIR. According to him, these voters were moved while retaining their original house numbers, which suggests that they did not actually change their place of residence. He argued that such a shift bypasses the legal process of delimitation and violates the rule that electoral registration must follow legally notified constituency boundaries and the requirement that voters ordinarily reside in the area where they are registered.

Allegations Against the BJP

Sardesai alleged that the transfers were orchestrated for political gain and pointed to Goa BJP president Damu Naik. Naik is a former rival in the Fatorda constituency, which Sardesai has represented in the Assembly. The Goa Forward chief claimed that around 50 of the voters had voted in Curtorim in earlier elections and described the alleged manipulation as a serious offence. He said the issue raises questions about the accuracy and integrity of electoral databases and compliance with the statutory provisions that govern voter registration.

What He Wants

The MLA has sought an impartial and time-bound investigation. He has demanded that all voter entries found to have been illegally shifted be deleted immediately, that disciplinary action and criminal prosecution be taken against those responsible, and that a statewide audit be carried out to find out whether similar irregularities have occurred in other constituencies. He has also warned that if no action is taken, he will be compelled to move the High Court of Bombay at Goa and seek a court-monitored investigation.

Further Claims About the SIR

Speaking at a press conference in Panaji on Saturday, Sardesai widened his accusations. He alleged that Nepali nationals had been enrolled as voters in Goa during the SIR process and that, at the same time, the names of eligible electors had been deleted from the rolls. He urged residents to check whether their names appear in the revised lists and said his party might organise street plays to spread awareness. He cited cases in Fatorda where voters allegedly found out that their names had been removed without their knowledge.

The Larger Context

The allegations come amid a national controversy over the Special Intensive Revision, which opposition parties and youth groups have criticised for alleged mass deletions and procedural lapses, while the Election Commission has defended the exercise as necessary to clean up the rolls. Goa is expected to go to the polls in 2027, which makes the accuracy of constituency-level voter lists politically sensitive, and even a small number of voters can matter in closely contested seats such as Fatorda.

No official finding has yet been made on Sardesai's claims, and the Election Commission and the BJP are expected to respond once the complaint is examined. Until the Chief Electoral Officer's office verifies the entries, the allegations remain claims by the MLA.

This report is based on published news coverage and statements attributed to the individuals involved. The allegations have not been independently verified.