The votes for the Corporation of the City of Panaji elections were cast yesterday and we will have to wait till March 22 morning to know the results.
A big chunk of Ward No 28 besides Ward 29 and 30 comprises of Ribandar. As there are no exit polls for this election, one can only speculate by assessing the ground reality.
Over the last two days it was an unending flow of money with each voter given between Rs 5000 to Rs 7000. For households having a cluster of 8 to 10 votes it was a lump sum of 2 to 3 lakhs per household that was paid.
The irony is that some government officials, a few spouses of government servants and a few otherwise respectable citizens were involved in this unlawful and criminal exercise.
Besides money, a lot of houses were given fridges, sand, cement bags and truck loads of laterite stones.
Observers however feel that despite having splashed such huge money, the concerned will be unable to win any of these three Ribandar wards.
The only distant hope that money bags could buy is Ward No 30 and that too by a very slender margin.
