Stage set for Goa Assembly polls amid tight security

Panaji, June 1: The electoral fortunes of 202 contestants would be sealed in the ballot boxes tomorrow when Goa goes to polls for the 40-member Legislative Assembly amid unprecedented security cover.

''Entire election machinery has been geared up to hold free and fair polls tomorrow for the 40-member House, and we have deployed adequate Central para military forces,'' said Chief Electoral Officer of Goa Ramesh Negi.

Counting of votes will be held on June 5 as the fifth legislative assembly and the new ministry has to be constituted before June 11.

The main battle is between the ruling Congress-NCP coalition, led by Pratapsinh Rane and the BJP opposition led by chief ministerial candidate Manohar Parrikar.

Both have indulged in claims and counter-claims of providing the people with ''able, stable and progressive government'' by securing an absolute majority.

The duo said they are confident that electorate is not in favour of ''fractured mandate'' which will avoid horse-trading at the instance of opportunistic small-time parties.

The BJP is contesting for the highest 33 seats, followed by its rival Congress 32, the oldest Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party-26, Save Goa Front (SGF)-17, JD(S) and UGDP-11 each, Shiv Sena-7, Nationalist Congress Party-6, Communist Party of India (CPI)-3, CPI(Marxist)-1, RPI(A)-4, GSP-1, and Independents-50.

Authorities have pressed 23 companies of Central paramilitary forces into service, besides 7 companies of the Goa battalions. The forces deployed for this election are double than the 2002 polls.

For the first time, jawans of Central paramilitary forces are being deployed at each polling booth, even as four companies have been set aside as a striking force for emergencies, if any.

As many as 266 booths have been identified as sensitive and hypersensitive, said Ramesh Negi.

Twenty-five observers, besides Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash from Delhi, Nalini Netto and Vaman Pater from other States have been posted as special observers to monitor the polls.

There are 10,10,207 electorates, including 5,05,625 men and the rest women in Goa. Sanguem is the largest constituency area-wise and Panaji, the smallest.

Goa has 1,066 polling stations where the authorities will use 1,500 Electronic Voting Machines.

The chance of ''missing'' voters casting votes does not arise as the authorities will videograph the booths.

The registered voters who have not got the EPIC cards will be allowed to vote if they carry any of the 13 different valid documents with a photograph of proof.

Special queues will be formed for senior citizens and the physically challenged.

Authorities have identified 266 polling stations as sensitive and hypersensitive. Polling in these stations would be videographed to prevent bogus voting by 12,500 voters, who have been identified as ''missing'' during verification. About 1,200 of them are located in the sensitive Taliegao and Fatorda constituencies each. Congress, which has fielded 32 candidates, has co-opted Somnath Zuarkar (Independent) in Taleigao following last-minute resignation of Congress nominee and former minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate after his wife Jennifer was denied the party ticket.

Congress is unofficially supporting independent candidate Viswajit Rane, son of Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane, in backward Valpoi constituency in North Goa.

Mr Viswajit too had resigned at the last minute from the party after the party denied ticket to him under 'one-ticket-one-family' norm. He, however, maintains that his ''heart'' continues to be with Congress for whom he had campaigned.

The party has renominated all sitting legislators except Harish Zantye, who opted out of contest. His son Pravin Zantye was given the ticket to contest from Myem.

Housing Minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar is contesting from Dhargalim, the only constituency reserved for scheduled castes, now witnessing a four-cornered contest.

BJP, on the other hand, is contesting from 33 constituencies and has announced support to independent candidate Ms Nirmala Sawant in Cumbarjua against Transport Minister Pandurang Madkaikar.

It has also renominated all sitting MLAs except former Deputy Speaker Narahari, who decided not to contest from Valpoi. Puti Goankar is contesting from the constituency now.

BJP is also supporting UGDP nominee Mathanhy Saldanha in Cortalim constituency for standing firmly by the BJP during the 2004-05 crisis that resulted in ouster of Manohar Parrikar government.

BJP, which has projected opposition leader Manohar as the chief ministerial candidate, had launched its door-to-door campaign (ghar ghar ki abhiyan) much before the election process began in Goa.

Interestingly, Mr Churchill Alemao, who quit the Congress party and membership of Parliament from North Goa, has fielded 17 candidates on behalf of the 'Save Goa Front' he is heading to usurp power from the ''corrupt and inefficient Congress government''.

Shiv Sena is contesting as a strategy to make inroads into Goa besides projecting the Marathi interests.

Janata Dal(S), headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda is doing the same to protect the interests of the migrant population from Karnataka.

He had been camping all these days in Goa and had sat on a dharna to protest government's high-handedness in booking his party workers for carrying money meant for electioneering.

There will be straight fights in Panaji, Velim and Poinguinim and triangular contest in Poriem, Valpoi, Shiroda, Loutolim, Benaulim, Curtorim and Navelim. Four-cornered contests are likely in Dhargalim, Calangute, St Andre, Cumbarjua, Bicholim, Mayem, Ponda, Cortalim, Sanguem and Canacona.

Marcaim, Cuncolim and Quepem have five cornered contests.

Saligao, Taleigao, Pale, Fatorda and Sanvordem have six cornered fights. Seven cornered contests are in Mandrem, Pernem, Mapusa, Siolim, Priol and Curchorem.

Tivim and Mormugao constituencies will witness eight cornered contests while Aldona, Santa Cruz and Vasco da Gama constituencies will have nine contests.

More than one women candidates are contesting from Aldona, St Cruz and Vasco da Gama.

Ponda, where GPCC Chief and former Minister Ravi Naik is contesting has a maximum of 37,055 electorates while Panaji where former Chief Minister and now BJP opposition leader is in the fray has the lowest number of 14,936 electorates.

As many as 187 men and 15 women are contesting the elections.

Out of 187 males, 94 are from the North Goa Assembly Constituencies while 93 are from the South Goa assembly constituencies.

Out of the 15 females contesting, 10 are from North Goa Assembly Constituencies and only five females are from South Goa constituencies.

There are no female candidates in Assembly constituencies like Dhargalim, Tivim, Mapusa, Panaji, Taleigao, St Andre, Bicholim, Maem, Pale, Poriem, Valpoi, Ponda Priol, Marcaim, Shiroda, Mormugao, Loutolim, Benaulim, Margao, Curtorim, Navelim, Velim, Cuncolim, Sanvordem, Sanguem, Queopem, Canacon, Poinguinim.

UNI