PANAJI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has suggested to the Election Commission of India that elections to the state legislative assembly be conducted around February 20-25.
A team of the ECI led by Chief Election Commissioner Dr Nasim Zaidi and team of Election Commissioners A K Joti and Om Prakash Rawat arrived in the state on Wednesday.
The ECI team is in the state to review the poll preparedness.
On Wednesday the team met with representatives of the political parties in the state and will further review the preparedness with the chief electoral officer and other officials of various departments of the state.
Sources said that during the meeting the BJP suggested that the elections be conducted between February 20 and February 25, prior to Carnival festivities in Goa.
However, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party requested the poll panel to hold the assembly elections at the earliest.
The Goa pradesh Congress committee raised the issue of granting voting rights to NRIs.
A senior Congress leader said the party raised the issue with the ECI team so that more than 5 lakh NRIs who are eligible voters can exercise their franchise in the 2017 polls.
In a memorandum to the CEC, Goa Forward Party requested the commission to intervene in the last-minute announcement of schemes by the government.
The GFP has stated that such announcements weaken the principle of level-playing field for all political parties and vitiate the process of free and fair conduct of elections.
