PANAJI
Voters in Taleigao got their middle finger inked after casting their votes by ballot to pick their representatives in the 11-member panchayat on Sunday.
Throughout the day since voting began at 17 booths, people eligible to vote including first-time electors came out enthusiastically to exercise their franchise in the election to pick seven of the 11 panchas of the Taleigao panchayat.
As per the report of the State Election Commission, the final turnout was 68.79 per cent as 8,246 votes were cast till voting ended a little before 5.30 pm.
Elections by ballot was held only for seven of the eleven wards in the panchayat as in four wards -- I, VI, X and XI -- candidates of the panel floated by Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Taleigao Progressive Development Front, were already elected unopposed.
The voting process was peaceful without any major complaints of either violence or voter intimidation barring in ward II, where AAP leader Cecille Rodrigues brought to the notice of poll officers that voter slips were being distributed with the symbol of the candidate from the Monserrate-backed panel.
Rodrigues, who is backing the joint Opposition panel 'Taleigaokars United' said she clicked pictures and presented the evidence to poll officers in the Camrabhat area.
Later in the day, Rodrignes and Monserrate were briefly engaged in heated arguments over the issue in full media glare. The latter however said, it is for the poll duty officers to deal with the matter and he had nothing to do with it.
The contest in ward II is a straight one between Agnelo D'Cunha, a long-time political aide of Monserrate, and Domnic D'Cunha of the Taleigaokars United panel.
In the first half of the day, meanwhile, voting was fairly brisk as officials said large number of people turned up perhaps aided by the fact that they headed straight to the 17 booths after attending Sunday morning church services.
By 12 noon,, 4,012 of the total 11,988 eligible voters had already cast their votes by ballot accounting for nearly 33.47 per cent turnout.
Meanwhile, counting will be taken up on Monday at the Bal Bhavan complex in Campal from 8 am.
