By-polls to two Assembly constituencies in Goa, Panaji and Valpoi, saw about 75 per cent voting in a largely peaceful election, in which both the BJP as well as Congress claimed respective victories.
Chief Electoral Officer Kunal (he does not use a surname) told reporters that in the Panaji assembly constituency where five-time Panaji MlA Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar faces Congress party’s Girish Chodankar and Goa Suraksha Manch’s Anand Shirodkar netted 70 per cent voting.
“In Valpoi assembly constituency voting percentage is 79.80 per cent,” Kunal said.
While 22,196 votes were cast in Panaji, in Valpoi 28868 votes were cast, according to official statistics. While polling was largely peaceful, there was one minor altercation each reported in Panaji and Valpoi.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters that the Bharatiya Janata Party would win with a landslide margin, both in Panaji as well as Valpoi.
The reason for the dip in voting as compared to last year, Parrikar said, was due a lack of traction generated by BJP’s opponents.
“Voting percentage was low because the other side had no traction,” Parrikar said.
The Chief Minister, who was rushed back to state politics from his plum Defence Ministry post, said that around 98 per cent of the BJP voters had cast ballot and therefore as a result the BJP would be sweeping the polls.
Parrikar also said that his opponents had led a “disgusting” campaign and blamed the Congress for a small fracas between Congress and BJP workers in Panaji.
“Police should take immediate action against them,” Parrikar said, adding that the Chief Electoral Officer had done a good job of maintaining neutrality in the conducting of the by-poll.
The Congress, which has also claimed victory in Panaji and Valpoi, accused the poll officials of being partial against their party. “There was bias against us. While it was me fighting alone on one side, the BJP was backed by its ministers and election officials,” Panaji candidate Girish Chodankar told The Pioneer.
Chodankar also said that the vote pattern in the by-polls proved that it was a vote for change. “The people want the BJP out. And they will defeat the party in both Panaji and Valpoi,” Chodankar said.
Interestingly, the performance of the Goa Suraksha Manch, a party mentored by former state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Subhash Velingkar and which consists of senior RSS leaders, could be one of the key factors which could decide the fate of Parrikar.
“The end of Parrikar is near. The RSS workers in Panaji have not voted for the BJP. They have voted for the Manch. Our candidate in Panaji will win with a narrow margin,” Velingkar said.
Counting of votes polled during the by-polls is scheduled for August 28.