MARGAO
Returning Officer Jyoti Kumari and her election team were back again on their exercise to accept nomination papers for the Margao Municipal election, but not a single candidate turned up to file their paper.
That’s not all. Police officials and personnel, attached to the Fatorda police station stood guard outside the office of the Returning Officer, to regulate the visitors, but the rush was clearly missing on day one of the filing of nomination papers.
While the Returning Officer and his team took their seats in the hall shortly before 10 am, none of the contesting candidates made their presence felt at the office till 1 pm, the deadline set for the candidates to file their papers.
Neither the candidates shortlisted by the Goa Forward, nor the Congress candidates or the candidates shortlisted by the BJP-backed Vibrant Margao turned up at the office on Wednesday.
Officials pointed out that since the nomination process has been started afresh after the Supreme Court verdict, the candidates are required to file their nomination papers anew along with the security deposits.
Given that Christians are observing the Holy week, many believe that the contesting candidates may turn up in large numbers at the office of Returning Officer only after Easter.
“We are all geared up to accept the nomination papers of the contesting candidates., Today being Day one of the nomination process, we did not expect many candidates to turn up”, an official said, adding that the officials are all geared up for the election exercise.
This is the third time in the last one month that the office of the Returning Officer will be accepting the nomination papers for the Margao Municipal Council elections.
