TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The countdown for the 16th Lok Sabha 2014 elections has begun in Goa with 19 candidates battling it out for the two parliamentary seats – North and South. At least 10,800 government employees and 4,800 security personnel will be deployed on election duty for the April 12 polls.
Chief Electoral Office is expecting at least 75 per cent voter turnout.
Addressing media persons this evening, CEO Keshav Chandra said that the independent candidate Ranjeet Jaysinghrao Rane, who had filed his nomination papers from North Goa, has withdrawn in favour of Aam Admi Party’s Dr Dattaram Desai.
Chandra said that national parties including BJP, Congress and Communist Party of India along with unrecognized party like AAP have fielded their candidates for North and South Goa seats. While the newly formed Goa Democratic Front is in fray from North Goa along with Samajwadi Janata Party. In South-All India Trinamool Congress, Goa Su-Raj Party and Goemcarancho Otrec Asro and Bahujan Mukti Party.
Six independent candidates are in from in both the seats, the CEO said adding that 19 candidates — seven in North and 12 in South, would be contesting. The poll timing is from 7 am to 6 pm.
Chandra said that 10,59,953 electors — 5,15,247 in North and 5,44,706 in South — would be casting their votes this election at 1622 polling stations. There is rise in the total electorate by 3.3 percent compared to 2012 Assembly elections, he said. There are also another 825 service electors.
The CEO informed that the cleansing of the electoral roll was carried out during the summary revision 2014, wherein till date 28,646 electors in the age group of 18-19 years are enrolled. There are another 6042 applications received for enrolment.
“There are 13 vulnerable polling stations, five in North and eight in South,” Chandra said adding that 35 flying squads and 15 surveillance teams have been formed to keep watch on the sensitive and expenditure sensitive polling stations.
As many as 1622 electronic voting machines would be deployed at the polling stations. The first level checks of EVMs have been completed. The sealing of poll EVMs will start from April 2.
As many as 10,800 government servants are deployed on election duty. On security front, the Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to deploy ten companies of CRPF for the elections of which one company will be guarding polled EVMs and counting centers and as many as 4,810 (4000 Goa Police and 810 CRPF) security personnel would be deployed.
The CEO said that the voters slips for all the electors are being printed and the same would be distributed through Booth Level Officers.
