Panaji/Margao: Unusual times have led to an unusual scenario. As rural Goa goes to polls on Saturday to elect representatives for 48 seats of North and South Goa’s district-level panchayat bodies, the week preceding the zilla panchayat (
ZP) election has been marked with an unprecedented level of indifference among voters, giving rise to concerns of low voter turnout amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The ZP election is a litmus test for chief minister Pramod
Sawant, as this is the first time BJP is contesting a full-fledged election under his watch after he took over the reins of the state following the demise of former CM Manohar Parrikar.
The ZP election has also been marked with an unusually long pause of nearly eight months between the end of campaigning and polling day.
The elections were initially scheduled for March 15, but with the threat posed by the pandemic, the state government postponed it to March 22. Following a call for a ‘janta curfew’ on March 22 by PM Narendra Modi, the polls were further postponed by two more days, to March 24. However, following Modi’s intervention, the state government indefinitely deferred the polls.
The successful conduct of the Bihar polls last month inspired the state government to go ahead with the ZP polls.
On December 5, the state election commission announced the fresh date.
With the state election commission banning public campaigns as the model code of conduct kicked in, election fever went missing, despite this being the first time these polls are being fought on party lines. In the last ZP polls, although BJP had fielded candidates, other political parties refrained from doing so.
Amid various agitations plaguing the state, including over the three Centre-sponsored infrastructure projects, besides issues of unemployment, non-resumption of mining activities, and tourism activities taking a hit due to Covid-19, it would be a testing time for the BJP government, with the crucial assembly election hardly 13 months away.
Opposition parties have tried to create political capital of the protests and will try to keep the issues burning till the 2022 elections.
Nearly 8 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for the two ZP bodies on Saturday, even as altogether 200 candidates are in the fray, 78 of whom are independents.
Elections will be held in only 23 of the constituencies of South Goa zilla panchayat—while the election for Navelim constituency has been countermanded following the death of a candidate, in Sancoale constituency, BJP has won the seat unopposed.
The elections will be held across 1,187 polling stations across both districts. 9,500 polling staff, including police personnel, have been deployed for the purpose.
The polling will be held from 8am to 5pm using ballot papers.
Covid positive patients will also be allowed to vote during the last one hour from 4pm to 5pm. PPE kits would be provided for Covid patients at polling booths across the state. The general precaution of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing shall be maintained throughout the election process.
BJP has fielded candidates in all constituencies in North Goa, which is said to be its stronghold, but have restricted themselves to only 16 constituencies in South Goa.
Despite having MLAs representing the party in Salcete after 10 Congress MLAs joined the saffron party in 2019, BJP has fielded candidates only in Guirdolim and Davorlim constituencies, while supporting independent candidates in the rest.
Congress has fielded 37 candidates, of which 21 are in North Goa and 16 in South Goa. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has one MLA in the assembly, has fielded six candidates—three in each district. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has fielded 17 candidates—seven in North Goa and 10 in South Goa.
Aam Aadmi Party, which has no representation in the assembly, has fielded 20 candidates—seven in North Goa and 13 in South Goa.
In North Goa, MGP and Congress have extended support to each other’s candidates to directly challenge BJP. In some constituencies, independent candidates too are challenging candidates of both the national parties.
Both Congress and BJP have exuded confidence of winning the ZP elections.
Counting of ballot papers will be held on December 14 across 15 counting centres.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login