Anything can be read into the record turn-out on
Saturday, but what can be said with a fair degree
of certainty is that the effort to bring more people
out of their houses to cast their votes has been a
success. In all around 82.23 per cent of the electorate
cast their vote for the Assembly elections, which is slightly
above 2012 which recorded a turn-out of 81.73 per cent. Credit
for this goes to the election commission which ran an effective
campaign with a number of ambassadors. While political parties
did their bit to encourage at least their voters to come out
and cast their ballots, it is the people of Goa who deserve a pat
on the back for breaking another record.
Generally speaking, the turn out tends to be lower in the
talukas of Mapusa, where the BJP has high stakes, Tiswadi
where the fates of Babush Monserrate and Manohar Parrikar
will be decided and Salcete, which the Congress needs to win
convincingly in order to gain enough momentum to form the
next government. It is in the interior
talukas or the new conquests that
voting tends to be higher because
people there are more dependent
on the government. And it is here
that the fate of the BJP will be decided.
This time too, these talukas
lived up to their reputation for near
complete participation in the democratic
process and it is because of
them that the overall percentage crossed the 2012 mark.
Goa has spoken and it has spoken strongly. While it is difficult
and almost impossible to ascertain the secret locked in
EVM machines, the message that such a large turn-out sends
is clear -- Goans want to participate in the democratic process
because they have something to say. Secondly they have
proved, yet again, that politicians can be trused. And this is
good for the State and the future government which will have
to make something of this intent.
