Panaji, August 14 – In a major revelation, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar has alleged a serious case of bogus voter registration in the state, raising concerns over electoral integrity ahead of upcoming elections.
Addressing the media, Patkar revealed that during a physical verification at a residence in Dempo Bhat, it was discovered that a family named Gomes currently occupies the house. However, official voter records list additional individuals—Arjun Nepali, Dal Bahadur, Minbhadar Kotkeni, and Khadak Jaigadi—as being registered at the same address, despite having no connection to the property.
Questioning the legitimacy of such entries, Patkar asked:
“Can Nepali citizens possess Indian voter ID cards and vote in our elections without being Indian citizens? If so, under what provision? If not, how were these names added to the rolls?”
The GPCC chief alleged that the presence of non-residents and potential foreign nationals in the electoral list points to an orchestrated attempt to manipulate elections. He warned that such discrepancies not only erode public confidence but also threaten the core principles of Indian democracy.
“Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy. Fake entries like these are a betrayal of public trust,” Patkar stated.
He further claimed that this was only the “tip of the iceberg,” and that the Congress party will continue to expose more such irregularities across Goa in the coming days. Patkar demanded immediate action from the Election Commission of India (ECI), including the removal of all bogus entries and a thorough investigation into the officials responsible for the lapses.
“Goans deserve transparent and clean elections—not electoral rolls tainted with ghost voters and foreign nationals,” he added.
The Congress party has vowed to pursue the issue until accountability is ensured and the sanctity of the democratic process is restored.
