MARGAO
This question has come to the fore against the backdrop of the bitter experience in the February 4 election for the Goa Legislative Assembly when the contestants were not allowed to directly interact with the 742 military voters holed up inside the camp.
Returning Officer for the Aquem-Baixo village panchayat Manoj Korgaonkar maintained that his office cannot direct or instruct the military men to permit the contesting candidates to meet the voters inside the military camp. He, however, hastened to add that the concerned BLOs have been designated as identifying officers, who are expected to identify the voters, before allowing them to cast their vote.
Even as reports did the rounds in Aquem-Baixo that though the number of army recruits registered on the voters list was put at 742 voters, reports from the village talathis and other officials speak about the actual presence of less than 500 voters inside the military camp.
Candidates vying for the three panchayat wards of 5, 6 & 7, however, appear keeping their fingers crossed. Sources in the know said that not a single candidate has so far knocked the doors of the military camp seeking entry to meet the voters inside in a bid to garner their support for their candidature.
The Goan understands that after former Panchayat Director Gurudas Pilarnekar directed the Aquem-Baixo Panchayat Secretary to distribute the 742 military voters in the three wards of 5, 6 & 7, support of the military men, assuming they are not transferred and posted outside the State, assumes significance and may make or mar the future of the contesting candidates. Rough estimates say that each of the three wards have around 200 military men registered on the electoral roll “ a crucial figure in wards have total voters pegged around 601, 573 and 702 respectively.
In fact, with one third of the voters in these three wards comprising of the military men, sources say, the candidates can ill afford to ignore these crucial voters, aware that any adverse voting can mar their electoral prospects.
Military officials were unavailable for comment, but candidates whom The Goan spoke to were keeping their fingers crossed whether they will be allowed to interact with the voters or leave their election material or manifestos with the military officials a la the Assembly election. It may be recalled that candidates, who had contested the 2017 Assembly elections, were not allowed to interact with the voters, but were only told to leave their manifestos with the officials, promising to convey their plans and programmes to the voters.
Ward No 5
Male -- 400
Female -- 201
Total -- 601
Candidates “ Joanita Colaco, Joeseleena Dias, Paciencia Dias, Pooja Pramod Naik
Ward No 6
Male -- 382
Female -- 191
Total -- 573
Candidates: Jose Agnelo Dias, Rajesh Bandodkar, Siddesh Bhagat, Walter Dias
Ward No 7
Male -- 418
Female -- 284
Total -- 702
Candidates: Agnelo Dias, Floriano Fernandes, Joao Vaz, Joaquim Vaz, Piedade Martins, Sudesh Mane
