Sandesh Prabhudesai
4 June 1999
The highlight of the polling was the electronic voting machine even in
the remotest area of the state as Goa had a trouble-free state Assembly elections today in
a bright sunny weather but clouded a bit by the cricket match since afternoon, affecting
the turnout.
Though final official figures had not come in hand till the report went
in, the election officials predicted above 70 per cent turnout, most of which was in rural
areas compared to the cities and towns. The counting of votes would be taken up on Sunday.
For the presiding officers at the polling stations, it was a real
tension-free day while for the voters, it was an interesting "finger-game",
exercising their franchise by simply pushing the button. More than political predictions,
the magic of the EVM was a talk of town and even countryside.
The more the voter is uneducated, the more he liked the method of
electronic voting. "This is much better than the complication of putting a stamp in a
right place and folding it without fault", said overenthusiastic 65-year handicapped
Vithu Naik. He was happy that his vote just cannot go waste.
But a few villagers did have a doubt, like a freedom fighter from
Poriem, one of the remotest village in the Goan hinterland. He seemed little confused even
after hearing the bip because he could not verify whether his vote had gone to the right
person.
Official peons at the polling stations were seen very active,
explaining the uneducated aged villagers how the machine functions, though 90 per cent of
the population was finding it thrilling as they actually experienced what they had read or
watched on the television earlier.
Prakash Velip, the four-time MLA and the candidate once again of the
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party from one of the remotest OBC constituencies, was happy that
his efforts explaining his uneducated voters about the machine had borne fruits.
Polling officers also found the whole exercise much faster and relaxing
due to paper-free voting. Incidentally, machines had to be changed only in three places,
one among them not because it actually failed but the polling officer could not understand
its mechanism properly, claimed R P Pal, the joint electoral officer.
Some shrewd politicians however tried to take full advantage of the
electronic equipment to frighten people. A rumour was spread in some places that the voter
would get a shock if they press any other button except the one in front of a particular
symbol.
In one or two constituencies, workers of the candidate whose name was
first on the machine, tried to confuse the voters telling them that they have to first
push the first button to start the machine, only after which actual voting could be done.
The polling otherwise was quite peaceful, without any major untoward
incident being reported, except three cases of impersonation and one incident of former
Congress minister’s supporters causing head injury to ex-sarpanch of a rival group in
North Goa.
Interesting among all is a complaint filed by former chief minister
Pratapsing Rane against the brother of his opponent and retired police officer Santoba
Desai, who has also filed a counter-complaint against Rane’s son Vishwajeet of
alleged threatening and intimidation.
Similarly, the presiding officers had to change polling agents of
another former Congress minister and his BJP rival as they picked up a fight inside the
booth in Taleigao constituency, part of Panaji city.
Also included five MGP supporters of former opposition leader Dr
Kashinath Jalmi from Priol, among total 135 arrested in last two days, who were arrested
early morning roaming with knives and swords. "Otherwise it was free of any major
incident, except minor hiccups", said R S Sahaye, the state DGP.
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