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Panaji: Goa seems to
have opted against a Saturday siesta with 82.8 percent of its
10.26 lakh voters exercising their franchise to pick a 40-member
assembly, with all political players claiming they were poised to
win.
Poll officials told reporters here that in all, 82.8 percent
voting was recorded, but a final tally would have to wait
re-polling in one polling station in Nuvem constituency, where
voting was cancelled.
"The exact final tally will have to wait until the repoll is
formally conducted," a poll official said.
In the 2007 election, Goa saw 72 percent polling.
Several polling booths clocked an extremely high voting percentage
with several booths clocking above 85 percent, while one polling
station in Valpoi assembly segment in North Goa recorded 92
percent voting.
Both the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
hailed the "ballot flood", interpreting it as a good sign for
them.
The BJP claimed the surge in voting was bound to help it gain
power.
"We are getting 20 seats and (our ally) MGP may get four," BJP
secretary in charge of Goa Aarti Mehra said.
"This is definitely a good sign for Goa and for the BJP. People
want a change," Mehra added.
On the other hand, the Congress claimed that the heavy voter
turnout was ominous for the BJP.
"This is a reinforcement of the government's good deeds. People
from all sections came out to back the government and keep
communal forces at bay," Congress working president Francisco
Sardinha said.
Polling was largely peaceful barring minor incidents.
Polling at Kirbhat in the Nuvem constituency in South Goa was
suspended after a clash between supporters of former tourism
minister Mickky Pacheco of Goa Vikas Party (GVP) and Power
Minister Aleixo Sequeira (Congress).
In Panaji, Congress candidate Yatin Parekh and his supporters
clashed with senior BJP leader Manohar Parrikar's followers,
forcing police to intervene.
In Davorlim, 40 km from Panaji, police escorted Public Works
Department Minister Churchill Alemao's daughter Valanka out of a
house where she was campaigning in the vicinity of a polling
booth.
A police inspector was suspended after he did not stop a bus load
of people while they were being ferried to a polling booth in
Vasco, 34 km from Panaji.
Two polling officials were replaced - at Dongri in St Andre
constituency near Panaji and Kundaim in Marcaim constituency -
following complaints that they favoured a particular party.
A police spokesperson said that in all 10 poll-related first
information reports (FIR) were filed all over Goa Saturday - seven
in North Goa, and three in South Goa district.
The main contest was between the Congress-NCP alliance and the
BJP-Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party combine. The Trinamool Congress
has fielded 20 candidates.
Among the fray were Chief Minister Digambar Kamat (Margao) and
five of his predecessors -- Pratapsingh Rane (Poriem), Churchill
Alemao (Navelim) and Ravi Naik (Ponda), all Congress, Dr Wilfred
de Souza, (Aldona) from Trinamool Congress and Parrikar (Panaji)
of the BJP.
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