SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024
Team Herald
Goa is all set to witness the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for its two parliamentary constituencies - North Goa and South Goa. The state has a total of 1,725 polling stations, with North Goa having 863 and South Goa having 862.
Amid the electoral preparations, the authorities have identified several sensitive polling stations across the state. In North Goa, 33 polling stations have been declared "alarming," with the highest number of 11 in the Aldona constituency. Additionally, there are 7 alarming stations in Santacruz, 4 each in Santa Andre and Sanquelim, 3 in Mandre, and 1 each in Calangute and Kumbharjua constituencies.
In South Goa, 26 polling stations have been identified as "alarming," with the Cortalim constituency having the maximum of 8 such stations. The other constituencies with alarming stations include Navelim and curtorim (5 each), Velli and Vasco (2 each), and Fonda, Shiroda, Madgaon, and Savordem (1 each).
Furthermore, the authorities have declared 6 polling booths in the Santacruz constituency, which is represented by BJP MLAs, as "unsafe." Similarly, the constituencies of Vasco, Madgaon, Fatorda, Velli, and Cortalim in South Goa have also been deemed "unsafe" due to the seizure of cash, electronic, and other items during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as well as the presence of a large number of foreign voters.
In addition to the alarming and unsafe polling stations, the state also has 17 "economically sensitive" polling stations, with 17 in the Cortalim constituency, 5 in Vasco, and 1 each in Fartoda and Velli constituencies.
The state has a total of 20 assembly constituencies in both North Goa and South Goa. While 377 polling stations in North Goa have only one polling booth, 353 polling stations in South Goa also have a single booth. However, there are also 35 places with three polling booths, 4 places with four polling booths, and 1 place with five polling booths.
With the elections around the corner, the authorities are taking necessary precautions to ensure a smooth and secure voting process in Goa.
