TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: As anticipated, a fewer number of voters visited the polling booths to exercise their franchise to the two ZP constituencies of Khola and Poinguinim in Canacona taluka on Wednesday.
According to official figures, the voter turnout was 69.31% for the Khola ZP seat and 68.48% for the Poinguinim ZP seat and these figures were lower than those recorded during the assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Incidentally, most polling booths were largely seen deserted for most of the time, with only some booths witnessing lines and that too, for a short period during the day.
The usual election fever was largely missing in most of the areas, with only a few vehicles moving into residential areas to ferry eligible voters.
However, voter turnout was high in most ST dominant polling booths at Kuddi, Shiroti, Gulem, Shristhal, Nuvem (Khola constituency) and Amone, Marli Edda, Avem, Baddem, Karcem Kudewada, Tudal and Ziltawadi (Poinguinim constituency), but it was a different story in most parts of the taluka.
In Khola ZP constituency, the GPS Popoidando booth in Khola returned with highest voter turnout (89.37%), while Canaguinim booth in Betul-Naqueri Panchayat recorded the lowest turnout (51.76%).
In Poinguinim ZP constituency, Upper Bodsorem (Cotigao village) had highest voting percentage (87.87%), while the lowest turnout (39.51%) was recorded at Maxem booth in Loliem-Polem.
Canacona Returning officer Sudhin Natu stated that the election was largely peaceful, with no untoward incident in any of the polling booths in the taluka.
Meanwhile, almost all candidates in both ZP constituencies exuded confidence of pulling off comfortable wins.
While both BJP candidates, Krishna Velip and Dr. Puspa Aiya, expressed satisfaction over the voter turnout, independent candidates, Shanu Velip and Pranali Prabhugaonkar, were equally confident of their victories.
Quepem MLA Babu Kavelekar, former minister Isidore Fernandes, ex-Canacona MLA Vijay Poi Khot and outgoing ZP (Poinguinim) Daya Pagui were upbeat of defeating the BJP candidates in the ZP elections.
