PANJIM: The fate of 95 candidates contesting for the Corporation City of Panjim election was sealed on Sunday evening, with a total voting turnout of 74.81%. Out of 31,648 total voters, 23,675 people cast their votes. Female voters outnumbered the males in the capital city of Goa with 75.22% whereas male voting was recorded as 72.36%.
Addressing a press conference, District Election Officer Swapnil Naik said the counting will take place on Tuesday, March 8 and the results declared by 10:30am the same day.
The maximum voting was reported in Ward number 17 at 86.22 per cent and minimum in Ward number 2 at 63.12 per cent. Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was amongst the first few to queue up in front of the booth to cast his vote.
The elections, which come a year before the state legislative assembly polls, has become a prestige issue for the ruling BJP which has fielded its panel (Panjim First). Congress’ expelled legislator Atanasio Monserrate (Progress for Panjim) and also Congress (Panjim United Front) fielded their candidates.
Monserrate, speaking to reporters, said that he will make a clean sweep and win in more than 25 wards.
Siddharth Kunkolienkar, MLA of Panjim, said that the voters’ response was very positive and they are looking for a good majority. He expected to win in more than 20 CCP wards.
Pandurang Madkaikar, who is heading the Congress panel, said that they will win in five or six wards. He said the almost 75% turn-out is mainly because of the competition and the triangular fight. He also alleged that BJP was using the government machinery and that Babush has pumped in lot of money to secure the CCP wards.
Total 31,648 voters were eligible to exercise their right to vote in the election held for the 30 wards. A total of 22 polling stations were identified as vulnerable and sensitive.
The State Election Commission had identified 15 booths as sensitive and seven as vulnerable. The District Collectorate had deployed three flying squad, one each looking after 10 wards. There were also 178 police personnel on duty.
District Election Officer Naik informed that there were no untoward incidents during the course of voting. “There were no arrests, no bogus voting and no complaints during the election process,” Naik said.
Reacting to a complaint on the eve of the election that money was allegedly being distributed in Bhatlem area, Naik said that he had sent a team of election officer and a flying squad to investigate. By the time they reached the spot, he said, the team could not find anyone trying to buy votes through money.
