SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The stage is set for the polling for two Lok Sabha seats in the State on Tuesday, May 7. The polling will be held at 1,725 polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm.
Goa goes to polls in the third phase of voting for Lok Sabha elections.
The two Lok Sabha seats are among 94 constituencies covering 10 States and two Union Territories (UTs). A total of 11,79,329 voters will cast their votes at 1,725 polling stations, including 863 in North Goa Parliamentary constituency and 862 in South Goa Parliamentary constituency.
In all, 5,98,758 voters are in South Goa and 5,80,571 voters are registered in the North Goa Parliamentary constituency.
Sixteen candidates, eight each in North Goa and South Goa Parliamentary constituency, are in the fray.
The eight candidates contesting from North Goa Parliamentary constituency are Shripad Naik (BJP), Adv Ramakant Khalap (Congress), Tukaram Parab (RGP), Milan Vaingankar (BSP), Sakharam Naik (Akhil Bhartiya Parivar Party) and three independents – Thomas Augustine Fernandes, Adv Vishal Naik and Shakeel Jamal Shaikh.
Similarly, Pallavi Dempo (BJP), Captain Viriato Fernandes (Congress), Rupert Pereira (RGP), Dr Sweta Gaonkar (BSP), Harishchandra Naik (Corruption Abolition Party) and independents Alexy Fernandes, Dr Kalidas Vaigankar and Deepkumar Mapari are in the fray for the South Goa seat. In North Goa, Union Minister of State for Tourism and BJP candidate Shripad Naik is aiming to retain the seat for the sixth consecutive term while former Union Minister Ramakant Khalap is trying to reclaim the seat which he won in 1996.
In 2019, the BJP and Congress had won one seat each in the State.
The total green booths in both the constituencies are 40 each, and 20 pink booths each; while there are 43 model polling booths in North Goa and 45 in South Goa, five PwD booths in North Goa and three in South Goa, two unique booths in North Goa and one in South Goa and one youth booth each.
The stretch identified for planting saplings in North Goa constituency is Warkhand junction below the flyover in Pernem taluka. A total of 4,145 saplings including 2,561 fruit bearing plants and 1,582 potted (medicinal) plants.
The identified stretch for green highway in South Goa constituency is Varca Junction to Bellem-Navelim Junction, a stretch of 600 metres and Canacona bypass on NH-66. The total saplings procured are 4,310 including 3,232 fruit bearing plants and 1,078 potted (medicinal plants).
To beat the heat wave, provision has been made to provide drinks and water to all the voters on the poll day and pandals have been erected at every polling station. All the polling stations will be provided with one wheel-chair.
