Panaji, Feb 11 (IANS): In what is a rare occurrence in Goa's electoral history, the forthcoming Panaji assembly by-poll will be the first time when none of the contesting candidates have a criminal record.

Speaking to IANS Wednesday, joint chief electoral officer Narayan Navti said that in an election for a legislative assembly seat to not have a candidate with a criminal record contesting is an "extremely rare" occurrence.

"It could be the first time that it has happened here," Navti said.

The Panaji Feb 13 assembly by-poll has been necessitated after the elevation of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar as defence minister last November. Parrikar had won the state capital seat on five occasion in the past.

Four candidates are now contesting the by-poll, which includes Parrikar's former aide Sidharth Kunkolienkar (BJP), an engineer by profession, and current mayor Surendra Furtado (Congress), a businessman. Two independents are also in the fray namely Samir Kelekar, an Indian Institute of Technology and Columbia University alumnus and a lawyer Sadanand Vaingankar.

A total of 22,057 voters are eligible to cast their ballot in the Feb 13 by-poll.