MARGAO
Who was the major beneficiary of the surgical strike by army recruits from 3MTR camp at Rawanfond, who had come out in large numbers at the Ghantamorod polling booth of Navelim constituency during the February 4 Assembly election?
Navelkars had posed this question post-election. Now, with panchayat elections round the corner, members of the Aquem-Baixo panchayat, under whose jurisdiction the 3MTR camp is located, have posed a related question “ whether locals can make it to the panchayat body from the three wards located adjoining the military camp, fearing that an ex-serviceman from outside the state may emerge victorious with the votes of the 676 army recruits registered
as voters.
In fact, the Aquem-Baixo Panchayat has dashed off a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, State Election Commission, District Collector, South and other election authorities with a plea not to allow the newly-enrolled first-time voters from the military camp to vote in the ensuing panchayat election.
If the candidates for the Assembly poll had raised fears that the turnout of the large number of army voters will influence the poll result of Navelim constituency, members of the panchayat body have now raised similar apprehensions that enrollment of a large number of non-resident service voters will undoubtedly influence the panchayat election.
“The newly-registered voters will definitely effect the candidates contesting the general panchayat election in 2017. The first-time registered voters from the military camp may end up electing an ex-serviceman of non-Goan origin residing in a civilian area,” stated an extract of the resolution adopted by the panchayat which was attached to the petition addressed to the election commission.
The resolution further stated that ex-servicemen contesting the election may emerge victorious in a three-cornered contest with the help of army recruits.
“The local villagers are in deep anguish that that this move of the government is aimed at influencing the outcome of the election,” the resolution added.
The petition signed by sarpanch Sharon P Quadros has requested the Chief Electoral officer, Director of Panchayats, Collector and other authorities to consider and take note of the public sentiments on the registration of the army recruits as first-time voters.
The panchayat has further desired to know the procedure followed by the election authorities to enroll the service voters, and whether they had complied with the laid down procedure as applicable to the general voters.
Though the Director of Panchayats is yet to carry out the panchayat ward delimitation exercise, Aquem-Baixio village panchayat members feel that the registration of the 676 voters from the military camp in part 18 &19 in 33-Navelim constituency may affect the voting pattern in at least three out of the seven panchayat wards, including Ward No V, VI & VII.
The heavy turnout of the military men for the February 4 Assembly election at the Ghantamorod polling station of Navelim constituency had raised many an eyebrow amongst the contestants since the candidates were also not allowed to campaign inside the military camp nor put forth their election message to these voters.
