TEAM HERALD
TIVIM: Voters of Tivim were in for an unexpected bonus on Monday, when they got the opportunity to hear rival parties making poll-related speeches at the same time and virtually the same place.
Believe it or not, the Congress and AAP poll meetings took place within a distance of barely 100 metres near the Tivim ground and voters could easily hear the speeches of both parties from virtually the same place. While the AAP meeting began at 6.30 pm, the Congress meeting started 30 minutes later.
The organising committees of both parties were surprised that the permission had been given to two parties to have a meeting within 100 metres of each other, as it could have caused law and order problems.
“We had prior permission from all authorities concerned to hold the meeting at Tivim, then how come authorities allowed the Congress meeting barely 100 metres from our venue,” asked Antonio Fonseca, organising committee member of AAP.
Mindful of the possibility that the two meetings barely 100 metres from each other could have triggered a law and order problem, a police officer from Mapusa told Herald: “The election officials had spoken to both parties on how to go about the meetings. If there is any law and order problem, we shall take care of it.”
There was a strong police force at both meetings and additional forces were also deployed in the area.
The AAP meeting began at 6.30 pm and ended at about 7.30 pm, while the Congress meeting began a short while later.
Incidentally, the AAP meeting was supported by the Tivim communidade, while the Congress meeting was supported by the local panchayat.
