MARGAO
Ballot boxes, voting compartments, ballot papers, stamp pads and stamps, besides counting ballots, are all part and parcel of election in a democratic set-up, including a local self-government Municipal body, will suddenly become a thing of the past in the Margao Municipality when the councillors meet to elect a new Municipal chairperson on October 12.
Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Margao Municipal Council, neither the ballot box nor the voting compartment will be put in place at the Municipal hall on October 12 when councillors assemble to vote for a new civic chief. And, so is the case with the preparation of ballots.
Senior councillors, including two-time former Municipal Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar, and senior councillors, including four-time councillors Sadanand Naik and Raju Naik, who must have cast their vote via secret ballot in their long-stint as councillors of the Margao civic body will for the first time raise their hands in support of their candidate.
The MMC Administrative staff, dealing with elections, may no longer have to put in place arrangements for a ballot box, voting compartment and symbols to cast their vote, and may be spared of the election work, beginning with the October 12 election.
The ballot box, which has been a part and parcel of every election for the post of Municipal chairperson and vice-chairperson, in the civic body, is all set to be confined to the Municipal store room.
A Municipal staff closely associated with the preparatory work for election for the post of chairperson and vice-chairperson was candid in saying they are now saved from the rigours of making the poll arrangements. “When the stage was set for every election for the post of Municipal chairperson and vice-chairperson, we used to receive the diktat from the senior officials to keep ready the ballot box as well as the voting compartment, besides the stamp pad and the stamp well in advance. We had kept the ballot box and the voting compartment ready for use after outgoing Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar was voted out of office in a no-trust motion, knowing well that the vacant post will be soon filled up. But, with the Ordinance in force to decide the election by show of hands, the ballot box will be confined to the store room,” the staffer added.
