The state election commission in Goa has given a revised provisional turnout of 76.1% for the Lok Sabha elections conducted on Tuesday. The polling percentage for North Goa is 77.7% and for South Goa is 74.5%. Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Verma stated that the final figures will be released soon.
Complaints regarding the slow polling process were received and reserve teams were deployed to address the issue. Verma clarified that the machines were not slow, but it took some time to get the voting in motion. He mentioned that the polling activities were smooth and peaceful, with no incidents of violence or voter inducement reported.
The office received 19 complaints from political parties on polling day, along with 190 complaints from the public. The chief electoral officer mentioned that 49 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioned and were replaced during polling, while 53 malfunctioned during the mock poll.
Regarding the model code of conduct violations, Verma stated that 38 violations were reported, out of which 36 have been disposed of. He also addressed the incident of a woman taking photographs inside the voting compartment at Fatorda. The woman was handed over to the police for necessary action, and Verma requested a status report on the incident.
In terms of missing names from the voter rolls, the election commission received only one complaint. Verma assured that they would check those cases and take appropriate action. He mentioned that verification exercises were conducted from September 2023, and each case of missing names would be investigated.
Since the enforcement of the model code of conduct, authorities in Goa have seized items worth Rs 17.82 crore, including liquor, cash, drugs, gold, and other items. The seizures have seen a significant increase compared to previous elections.
Out of the total 12,460 postal ballots issued, 11,115 were cast, as per Verma.
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