In a surprising administrative lapse, South Goa Member of Parliament and Kargil War veteran, Captain Viriato Fernandes, received a formal notice from the Election Commission of India. The notice demanded that he appear with documents to prove his identity for the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral roll.
CEO Points Finger at Booth Level Officer
Reacting to the incident, Goa's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sanjay Goel, attributed the error to dereliction of duty by the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO). Goel stated that a showcause notice would be issued to the BLO to investigate whether attempts were made to collect the necessary details from the MP.
"I'm told that in his enumeration form, the MP did not mention the assembly constituency and the part number of the 2002 electoral roll, on the basis of which mapping is done," Goel explained. "The BLO should have scrutinised this and sought the details from him. It was a lapse on the BLO's part."
He clarified that the system automatically generates notices for unmapped voters, and this stage was also missed. However, Goel assured that Fernandes's name would not be deleted from the rolls and the details would be sought from him directly.
MP Raises Concerns Over Voter Scrutiny Process
Captain Fernandes expressed dismay at receiving the notice, especially after undergoing the highest level of scrutiny as a Lok Sabha candidate in the 2024 elections. He framed the incident as indicative of a larger problem facing ordinary citizens.
"If an MP can be subjected to this scrutiny, wonder about the state of a common man," Fernandes remarked. He stated that this confirms concerns raised by opposition parties and NGOs about the SSR process being used to potentially delete names of legitimate voters and hinder their participation in democracy.
The Lok Sabha MP emphasized his long-standing voter credentials, noting he has voted since 1989. He recounted making multiple trips to Goa from his military postings during his 26-year tenure in the Indian Navy solely to exercise his franchise.
The Notice and Its Implications
The EC notice served to Fernandes cited "no match/likely incorrect match" with the electoral roll from the previous SSR. It required him to appear before the designated officer on January 27, 2026, between 9 AM and 12 PM, with original documents prescribed by the EC to retain his name in the final electoral roll.
This episode has sparked a debate on the efficiency and fairness of the voter list revision process, highlighting how even a decorated veteran and sitting MP can get caught in procedural tangles. It underscores the critical need for diligence at the booth level to maintain the integrity of the electoral roll.
