According to sources in Canacona Returning Office, voter slips will not be distributed to the electorate during the ZP polls, unlike the earlier practice where voters slips were distributed by election authorities through respective booth level officers (BLOs) for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
When inquired, a source in the Canacona Returning Office informed that there are no arrangements to distribute voter slips for the ZP polls, but hastened to add that candidates were free to do distribute their own voter slips.
It may be recalled that contesting candidates will be allotted symbols only on March 9. BJP is the only party which is fighting both ZP seats in Canacona on the party symbol and accordingly the voting symbols of its candidates, Krishna Velip (Khola) and Dr Puspa Aiya (Poinguinim), will be the Lotus.
The symbol ‘Aeroplane’ is allotted to independent candidates, Shanu Velip (Khola) and Anousha Vasu Gaonkar (Poinguinim). Poinguinim’s third independent candidate Pranali Prabhugaonkar’s voting symbol is ‘Cupboard’. Shanu Velip and Pranali Prabhugaonkar are strongly supported by Congress and other opposition political parties.
Meanwhile, many candidates are in a dilemma over the inability to distribute voter slips on their own, as the time available to them is too short.
“With a minimum of four days required to print voter slips after March 9, when the symbols are allotted, candidates would need at least 3-4 days to write the voter names on the slips.
