the goan I network
MARGAO
As the Election Commission of India has fixed re-polling in booth No 8 of Margao constituency on February 7, election officials are gearing up to kick off a day-long propaganda in the limits of the booths to make the electorate aware of the polling on Tuesday.
Returning officer, Margao constituency Uday Prabhudesai told The Goan that preparations are underway to hold the re-poll in booth No 8 of the constituency, comprising of the Aquem area of the city.
“Officials will go to the polling booth area on Monday by beating of drums and with a propaganda
vehicle to inform the voters on the re-poll on February 7 so that maximum number of voters turn up for the voting”, he said.
Re-polling at the booth will commence at 7 am and end as 5 pm as usual, he said.
Replying to a question, Prabhudesai said his office will draft a team of polling officials, including the Presiding officer to conduct the elections.
“We had empaneled a team of officials for election duty. The team will be selected on Monday after consultation with the Election observer,” he added.
To another query, Prabhudesai said that candidates are barred from campaigning in the polling booth areas.
The election officials appears treading a cautious path this time round, after the re-poll was ordered
following a lapse by the Presiding officer, wherein mock poll votes were not wiped by the officials from the EVM before actual polling. The lapse had come to light only after around 192 voters had cast their vote.
Booth No 8 of Margao in the T B Cunha school premises, Aquem has 791 voters comprising of 372 males and 419 females.
The polling booth comprises of the electorate in the limits of ward No 21 of the Margao Municipal Council, which had recently gone for bye-election following the demise of then Councilor Ashlesha Naik.
Incidentally, Digambar Kamat’s candidate had emerged victorious with a comfortable margin, dashing hopes of the BJP to make inroads in the traditional vote base of the five-time Margao MLA.
