In a significant political prediction, Goa Forward Party (GFP) legislator Vijai Sardesai has suggested that the state's legislative assembly elections could be advanced to December of this year, 2026, breaking from the expected schedule in early 2027. The MLA from Fatorda based his forecast on the logistical demands of India's impending national census.
Census Timeline Forces Election Rescheduling, Says MLA
Sardesai stated that he does not believe the polls will be held in 2027 as widely anticipated. His reasoning hinges on the massive census operation, India's first digital headcount in 16 years, which is slated to be completed by March 1, 2027. He pointed out that election regulations prohibit polls from being conducted for three months preceding the census. Given that government staff and teachers, who typically serve as polling personnel, will require extensive training of two to three months for the digital census, the window for holding elections narrows considerably.
Administrative Freeze and Shared Staffing Key Factors
Elaborating on the procedural challenges, the GFP leader highlighted another critical norm. The census can only begin three months after the boundaries of administrative units like districts, talukas, and police stations are frozen. This administrative freeze, combined with the fact that the same pool of government employees is used for both election duty and census work, creates a major scheduling conflict. Sardesai and his party are therefore banking on the Election Commission to tweak the assembly election calendar to accommodate this unprecedented logistical exercise.
GFP Open to Alliance to Counter BJP
Beyond the election timeline, Sardesai also addressed political strategy. He openly expressed that the GFP is in favour of forming an alliance for the upcoming polls. He presented a stark strategic calculation, warning that if the GFP contests alone, it could split the anti-BJP vote and inadvertently facilitate the ruling party's return to power. "That is why, strategically, we will need to come together to look at this," Sardesai asserted, indicating a push for opposition unity in the coastal state.
This statement from a key regional player sets the stage for potential pre-poll negotiations and adds a new layer of intrigue to Goa's political landscape, which is already gearing up for a competitive election season sooner than later.
