MAPUSA
Amidst complaints of a slow voting process, Bardez saw a large turnout across seven constituencies in the polling that took place for the State assembly election on Monday.
The voting process was peaceful, barring a few incidents of technical glitches in the EVMs which were promptly rectified or replaced.
Saligao constituency, witnessed maximum voting at 75.98% till 5 pm. It was followed by Tivim at 74.5%, Calangute 74%, Porvorim 73%, Aldona 72.22%, Mapusa 68.62% and Siolim 68%.
Despite the virus scare, people thronged to the polling stations to cast their votes. Long lines of people were seen outside polling booths patiently waiting for their turn amid strict Covid protocols.
Several senior citizens and the disabled escorted by their kin also exercised their franchise.
Slow voting process at several places irked the voters who were forced to wait in queue for hours to cast their votes.
“This is not done. The officials of the Election Commission should ensure that efficient staff is deployed to monitor the election process. People had to wait for almost one-and-a-half hour in the queue to vote in the polling station at Sodiem,” said Francis Fernandes, former sarpanch of Sodiem. Similar grievances were reported from several other places.
The two couples in the fray in Bardez “ former minister Michael Lobo and his sarpanch wife Delilah Lobo “ cast their vote in a government primary school in Parra while former MLA Kiran Kandolkar and his Zilla Panchayat member wife, Kavita Kandolkar were also seen voting.
The Saligao constituency, where there was a fight between former minister who quit Goa Forward Party to join the BJP in the run up to the elections and Reis Magos sarpanch who quit the BJP to contest as Congress candidate Kedar Naik witnessed maximum voting at 75.98%.
The minimum voting of 68% was witnessed in Siolim constituency, which witnessed stiff campaigning between former minister and BJP candidate Dayanand Mandrekar and Parra sarpanch and Congress candidate, Delilah Lobo.
The constituencies of Calangute, Tivim and Porvorim saw an average of 73% of voting prompting former minister and Congress candidate Michael Lobo to say that the large voting turnout was against the incumbent government.
“This vote is for change. It’s a vote against an arrogant and irresponsible BJP-led government which did not understand the pain of the common man,” Lobo said.
However, Tivim MLA and BJP candidate, Nilkant Halarnkar said high voting has always favoured the BJP which has a good organisation to reach out to their voters.
“We will cross the 22 seat mark in the State. Goan voters will not forgive the Congress. They will re-elect the BJP for the third time,” Halarnkar said.
Since the last hour between 5 pm to 6 pm was reserved for Covid patients, officials of the Election Commission maintained that slight variations may be reported in the final polling percentage.
