COVID-19: Goa SEC cancels March 24 ZP polls; board exams postponed

 In wake of the coronavirus scare, the March 24 elections to 50 Zila Panchayat seats were cancelled on Friday by the state election body. A fresh poll schedule will be announced later.

On Friday, the state also postponed Board examinations of Class X and XII as well as for Class IX and XI.

"The elections have been cancelled. Fresh dates will be announced later," State Election Commissioner R.K. Srivastava told reporters here.

Incidentally, Goa has not reported a single coronavirus positive case yet.

The SEC decision came on a day when a Bombay High Court bench in Goa also directed the election panel to reconsider the holding of polls on March 24 in view of mass gatherings such an exercise necessitates.

The polls were scheduled to be held on March 22, but later postponed to March 24 by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi designated March 22 as a day to observe 'janata curfew' in view of the coronavirus scare.

The BJP-led coalition government in the coastal state has faced severe criticism from the opposition and civil society for refusing to postpone the Zila Panchayat polls. IANS