Goa poll: Historic turnout of 82%India Blooms News Servicesw
Panaji, Mar 3 (IBNS) The tiny state of Goa recorded a historic voting turnout of 82 percent in the single phased assembly election on Saturday while an exit poll by a news channel has put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead in number of seats. The overall turnout has sprung a surprise on many as it could be the highest ever turnover in the state. In a press conference, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti informed that 8.3 lakh electorates out of a total 10.25 lakh exercised their franchise. “North Goa recorded 83 percent voting and South Goa had 80 percent voters cast their ballots. There were more women than men voters,” Navti said. He said the massive turnout could be a result of awareness by the authorities and by the election icon Remo Fernandes. While Davorlim constituency recorded the highest 100 percent voting by 3:30pm, the lowest voting 73.49 percent was at Velim constituency. Navti announced that the 11 constituencies including Shiroda, Mandrem, Pernem, Sanquelim, St Andre, Sanguem, Savordem, Quepem, Bicholim, Poriem and Madkai had more than 85 percent voter turnout. The lowest voting could be a result of the violence in the constituency when Goa police’s special branch team approached a Church priest late night for gathering information on an incident. The policemen were beaten up and the villagers had threatened to boycott voting. There were stray incidents of violence and code violation reported at the polling booths today. While more than five arrests have been made and more than Rs 5 lakh cash being seized, two polls officers might face suspension for dereliction of duty. The poll counting will be held on March 6. Two major alliances Congress-Nationalist Congress Party and Bhartiya Janata Party- Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party have claimed they would emerge victorious, even as some exit polls put the BJP alliance ahead. The India TV-C-Voter exit poll projected BJP alliance to be bagging 20 seats out of the total 40 and Congress trailing with a tally of 17 seats. Others would get the remaining three seats, it said. Incumbent BJP MLA Manohar Parrikar’s victory rally was carried out by his supporters in Panaji. Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho, at a press briefing in the evening, said that the high turnout may not be ideal for Congress. “It can be anti incumbency factor for Congress. The party will emerge single largest party but we have to depend on allies for forming the government,” he said. In the last assembly election in 2007, the state had recorded 71 percent voting. (Reporting by John Edwards) http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/2012/newsDetails040312b.php -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------