What happened
After Ponda MLA Ravi Naik died in October 2025, the Election Commission of India dutifully scheduled a bypoll for April 9, 2026. Candidates filed nominations, campaigns kicked off, EVMs were prepared, surveillance systems installed, ballot security arranged, and ₹1.5 crore of public money was spent on logistics. Then two voters — not election officials, not constitutional lawyers, just two voters — pointed out that Goa's current assembly term ends March 14, 2027, and since the elected MLA would only take office after results on May 4, 2026, they'd serve less than one year. Under the Representation of the People Act, that makes the election unnecessary. The Bombay High Court agreed and declared the EC notification "null and void" — one day before voting was scheduled. The ECI, whose entire job is knowing election law, apparently needed two random citizens and a High Court bench to remind them how calendars work. AAP has alleged a political conspiracy between the EC and BJP, which is one explanation. The simpler one is that India's election authority cannot subtract dates.