Team Herald 

MARGAO: Benaulim constituency recorded a turnout of 64.73 per cent. What is pertinent to note is that local MLA Churchill Alemao was hardly seen canvassing for a particular candidate and left it up to his supporters to decide on whom to vote. Voting was so sluggish in the villages of Cavelossim, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim and Colva that by 11 am the polling percentage at a few booths had crossed 30 per cent.

At Cavelossim, Colva and one booth each in Benaulim and Carmona, the voting percentage had crossed 30 per cent at 11 am while at all other booths it was below 30 % with a booth at Benaulim recording only 18.6% turnout.

The voters in the coastal villages appeared divided on Congress and AAP candidates with BJP not featuring anywhere except amongst a few Hindu voters. While in Cavelossim and Carmona, AAP appeared to have a lot of support, but the people in Benaulim and Colva were overwhelmingly supporting the Congress.

AAP suffered a major setback in this constituency as Royla Fernandes, its lone candidate to secure her deposit at the last Assembly elections, now switched allegiance to the Congress and probably this was the reason for the AAP’s low response in Benaulim village.

Similarly, Serafino Cotta, co-ordinator of AAP at the Assembly elections chose to stay away from the present elections on health grounds.

Meanwhile, when asked about the low turnout in Benaulim, Churchill Alemao said, “I stayed away from the Lok Sabha elections and remained silent. I told by voters to vote for the person of their choice”.

Alemao said he had to remain neutral at these elections since the Congress had imported Caitu, former Benaulim MLA. But Churchill did admit that AAP would take a sizeable amount of votes.