Panaji, May 5 (PTI) More than 11 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa where campaigning ended on Sunday evening.
Polling will be held in the North Goa and South Goa parliamentary constituencies on May 7.
In North Goa, BJP’s sitting MP Shripad Naik is pitted against Congress candidate Ramakant Khalap.
In South Goa, the BJP has fielded Pallavi Dempo, the executive director of Dempo Industries, against Viriato Fernandes of the Congress.
The South Goa Lok Sabha seat is currently held by Congress’ Francisco Sardinha.
A total of 16 candidates, eight each in North and South Goa Lok Sabha constituencies, are in the fray.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the star campaigners of the BJP.
For the Congress, its senior leaders Shashi Tharoor and Pawan Khera campaigned in Goa.
A total of 1,725 polling stations have been set up across the coastal state, including 863 in the North Goa seat and 862 in the South Goa parliamentary constituency, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ramesh Verma said in a media statement.
“Among these polling stations, 43 model polling booths have been identified in North Goa and 45 in South Goa. The move is aimed at streamlining the voting process and reducing the waiting time,” he said.
As on April 19, the state has 11,79,644 voters, including 5,80,710 in North Goa and 5,98,934 in South Goa, as per the website of the office of Goa’s CEO.
Among the voters, 5,71,617 are men, 6,07,715 women and 12 transgender persons.
Besides, there are 300 service voters, including 133 in North Goa and 167 in South Goa, as per the data.
To cater to the needs of senior citizens, medical camps will be set up at eight model polling stations in urban areas where there is a higher percentage of elderly voters, Verma said.
“After casting their vote, senior citizens can avail the basic facility of health checks provided by doctors from the Directorate of Health Services,” he said.
In a bid to empower female voters and promote gender equality, 40 dedicated polling stations for women, also known as ‘Pink Booths’, have been set up in North and South districts of Goa, the official said.
“These polling stations will be exclusively managed by women personnel, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for female voters to exercise their democratic right,” he said.
Verma said environment sustainability has been prioritised and 40 ‘green’ polling stations have been set up in the two districts.
“These eco-friendly booths are decorated using environment sustainable materials such as bamboo and coconut leaves sourced from local vendors, reflecting a commitment to reducing the ecological footprint of the electoral process,” he said.
To ensure inclusivity for persons with disabilities, divyang polling stations have also been set up in both the districts – five in North Goa and three in South Goa, he added. PTI RPS MVG GK GK NR
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