Goa Forward seeks deferment of Union budget to post elections

Goa Forward party has written to Election Commission requesting that Union budget be presented after election process in five states, including Goa, is over as its scheduled tabling on February 1 could be utilised by the BJP to launch "populist" measures to "woo" voters.

"Budget provides an opportunity only to the ruling party to announce populist schemes and programmes and thereby lure and woo the electorate," the party president Prabhakar Timble stated in a petition filed before ECI, without taking name of BJP.

"Such power in the hands of ruling party kills the content and spirit of the election code of conduct and destroy the principle of free and fair elections," it said.
 

The newly formed outfit is contesting five out of total 40 seats in Goa, going to polls on February 4.

"Union Budget should be presented after the election process in all the five states is completed. The presentation of the budget and the announcements therein, which would basically to lure the voters, would demolish the level playing field for all political parties and contesting candidates," it said.

Election Commission today announced schedule of Assembly elections to be held in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur between February 4 and March 8.

Goa Forward has also filed a complaint with EC alleging that recruitments are on in various government departments in Goa in a bid to "lure voters."

In a complaint filed before Joint Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti, Goa Forward spokesperson Durgadas Kamat has said, "despite the ban recruitments for the post of lower divisional clerk, upper divisional clerk, data entry operators are being undertaken in departments like Accounts, PWD and Handicraft corporation."

Earlier this week, a number of opposition parties, including the Congress, wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and Chief Election Commissioner claiming that the move to advance the budget is an attempt to influence the assembly elections.