Team Herald
MARGAO: GPCC State President and Congress candidate from Navelim, Luizinho Faleiro was irked by the large number of voters from the 3MTR cadets from Navelim and said this was a strategy to defeat him.
Faleiro, giving vent to his anguish said, “I had sought the permission from a senior officer of the 3MTR of Navelim to campaign and this was denied to me. I suspect that these cadets have been enrolled for a particular purpose and that is to vote against me in Navelim.”
The District Electoral Officer said that according to the government notification amending rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 several voters of the State were enabled to vote as service voters, including armed forces personnel through e-postal ballot. “Several voted here in Navelim and also in Mormugao through the new facilitation,” the DEO said.
“It’s sad that the armed forces from across India have a large turnout to vote in our constituency and sadly they seem to be influenced by the Defence ministry to vote for a certain individual. The outcome of this means that these temporary residents within Navelim will decide the fate of our constituency and local Navelim voters and residents and voters’ issues will become irrelevant. It’s disheartening how a constituency that houses army jawans is betrayed at elections,” said Davorlim resident, Nathan D’Costa.
