Panaji: Enthusiasm among seniors and wheel-chair bound in some areas, disappointment among others who were thirsty and eager to have a lemon juice but didn't get one, and myriad other voter emotions lent colour to the first, 7-11 am period of polling across Goa for the two Lok Sabha constituencies.
Official estimates pegged the turnout in these four hours at 30.94%, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's Sanquelim assembly segment in the North Goa seat, recording the highest at 37%.
The estimates say the turnout was 30.31% in North Goa and over a percentage point higher in South Goa at 31.56%.
Interestingly, the action outside polling booths, where volunteers and supporters of contesting parties usually gather in separate corners for polling day voter mobilisation was discernably missing.
Voting is being conducted at 1,725 polling stations across both the constituencies.
Nominees of both the main contesting parties, Shripad Naik and Pallavi Dempo of the ruling BJP and Ramakant Khalap and Viriato Fernandes of the Congress were among the early voter to cast their vote in their respective booths. So did the two candidates of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) Manoj Parab and Rubert Pereira.
Over 11 lakh are eligible to cast their votes to elect the two MPs Goa sends to the Lok Sabha.
Interruption in voting due to technical glitches or malfunction of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been reported at polling booths in several areas. Election officials however said these were resolved and voting resumed.
Voting will continue till 5 pm and Chief Electoral Officer, Ramesh Verma, has said they are targeting a turnout of 80% plus which current trends suggest will be a herculean task to accomplish.
