‘Silent voters’ key as Goa sees record 83% turnout

PANAJI: Goa witnessed its highest ever voter turnout of 83% on Saturday for the assembly elections which is considered very crucial for defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

With no major poll issue, allies-turned-foes contesting against each other and too many candidates in the fray, uncertainty marked the election and it has now been left to “silent voters” to decide the fate of 251 candidates for the 40-member assembly in the coastline state, when ballot boxes are opened on March 11.

For the defence minister, the Goa election is a matter of prestige. He is the chief strategist of BJP and the one who controlled the poll campaign. Parrikar addressed not only public meetings across the state but also several corner meetings which were attended by just 40-50 people. He visited some slum areas too. Even veteran election managers of political parties are uncertain of the number of seats their party would be able to win.

There is apprehension among top politicians over the silence of voters in many constituencies. Analysts say it is an indication of vote for a change. The youth is also a factor in the election as they constitute 40% in the 18-40 age group. Of the 11.1 lakh voters, around 33,000 are first-time voters and this could be of much relief to BJP, an observer said, adding that BJP had tried hard to woo them with sops in the form of various government schemes.

Presence of too many candidates and absence of alliances between like-minded parties are the main factors behind the uncertainty. In many constituencies, there were 6-7 candidates, with Velim topping with 12 contenders in fray.

There are many factors behind the most intriguing electoral battle in Goa in recent times. Goa saw twin divorces — between Congress and NCP on the one hand and between BJP and MGP on the other. To make matters worse for BJP, MGP tied up with another right wing outfit, Goa Suraksha Manch, floated by rebel RSS chief Subhash Velingkar.

Probably, this is the first time that in Goa, BJP has to contest against a rightwing outfit whose core group is from its parent body RSS. BJP was already fighting anti-incumbency and there was also some talk of “arrogance” among the BJP functionaries.

Congress had its own problems — it stretched the process of selection of candidates and alliance far too long. This gave the party less time to campaign. Similarly, those waiting for an alliance — NCP and Goa Forward — also became victims of the delay, analysts say. The entry of AAP has had its impact more on Congress, as the “Delhi party”, as it is known here, has made a dent in the national party’s stronghold in south Goa.