CANACONA
The BJP’s election committee on Wednesday conducted a secret ballot to decide the party candidate for Canacona constituency.
Sources told The Goan that since the claim to the ticket had escalated among the two aspiring candidates, sitting MLA and Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes and former minister Ramesh Tawadkar, the BJP election committee had sought the views of the party karyakartas through a secret ballot.
All party executive members of Canacona BJP Block, Canacona BJYM, Canacona Mahila Mandal and two leaders from each of the 59 booths were invited as eligible voters to choose their candidate to contest the forthcoming assembly elections from the Canacona constituency.
BJP's National General Secretary and party's in-charge for Goa CT Ravi and Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Kishan Reddy addressed party workers in the presence of State BJP leaders Satish Dhond and Sarvanand Bhagat.
Eligible karyakartas were then provided with unnumbered blank paper slips and were asked to write the name of the candidate of their choice.
Canacona BJP Mandal President Nandip Bhagat later handed over the ballot box to Ravi in the presence of Reddy, Bhagat and Dhond.
Incidentally, some supporters of Fernandes were unhappy over the conduct of the ballot.
“Ballot papers were allotted to all those present in the hall without even verifying the eligibility of the voters. We were not aware of the number of those eligible to vote and neither were the ballot papers numbered to establish credibility,” remarked one supporter.
Another supporter alleged that a busload of karyakartas had also arrived from Canacona, who were neither booth leaders nor executive committee members, and they were also allowed to vote.
While efforts to contact block presidents were not successful, Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes who resumed his election campaign after returning to Canacona also refused to comment much on the election process.
“Let the party announce the candidate,” said Fernandes.
