ZP polls peaceful, mild lathicharge in Fatorda
GOANEWS & PTI, PANAJI | 08 March 2010 10:25 IST
Goa witnessed incident-free polling for its 48 Zilla Panchayats, out of total 50, on Sunday with 57 per cent voters exercising their right to franchise.
There were 190 candidates in the fray, for 30 constituencies in North Goa and 18 constituencies in South Goa.
State Election Commissioner P M Borkar told reporters that the polling was peaceful except for couple of stray incidents of attempt of bogus voting, which was thwarted by the authorities.
Fatorda centre witnessed mild lathicharge when supporters of candidates in Nuvem constituency clashed over opening seal of a gunny bag containing sealed ballot boxes.
There was no voting in Benaulim constituency as former ZP Chairman Nelly Rodrigues was elected unopposed.
Similarly, election in Navelim constituency had to be postponed since of the candidates died in an accident, in the run up for the polls.
As per the State Election commission, Fatorpa in South Goa recorded highest 70.83 per cent voting while Davorlim constituency in the same district witnessed 40.77 per cent, which is considered as the lowest for these polls.
Borkar said in all 7.25 lakh voters from state's rural areas were eligible to cast their votes.
The counting is scheduled for March 9 in respective taluka.
Tension was witnessed at Fatorda centre, where ballot boxes are stored, as one candidate Francisco Mascarenhes found the seal of a gunny bag containing ballot boxes open.
Election officials claimed it was opened to take out one empty ballot box. Later, the bag was resealed after confirming that none of the ballot box seal is tampered with.
Tension grew up when tourism minister Mickky Pacheco and power minister Alexio Sequeira arrived at the scene. With delimitation of Assembly constituencies, Mickky is trying for Nuvem constituency, which is traditionally Sequeira's constituency.
Yes, you are right. It's a file photo of some other state, not Goa. But you get to see such queus in Goa also, especially in rural areas.