log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MAY 8, 2024 GOA NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with a two-judge bench rising without pronouncing an order on granting him interim bail to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal has been accused of money laundering in a case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which reserved its order on grant of interim bail earlier during the day and said it will be pronounced at 2 p.m., rose without delivering its >> See pg 7 verdict.  IN SHORT >> BJP govt reduced to minority in Haryana CHANDIGARH: Three Independent MLAs on Tuesday withdrew support to the BJP government in Haryana and announced they would back the Congress, reducing the Nayab Singh Saini government to a minority in the state assembly. The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member House which has a current strength of 88.  >> See pg 7 Mayawati drops nephew as heir NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand is no longer her political heir or the party’s National Coordinator. The 29-year-old got dropped, days after his comment comparing the BJP with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban. His aunt, though, has left a small hope for reprieve, saying he is “being separated” from his responsibilities “until he attains full maturity”. SC raps IMA chief on knuckles NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court termed as “very, very unacceptable” the statements made by IMA president RV Asokan targeting the apex court in a recent interview where he answered questions about Patanjali Ayurved advts. 51 Indian soldiers leave Maldives NEW DELHI: India has withdrawn 51 of its soldiers from the Maldives so far, the government has said ahead of the May 10 deadline. WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 27 C Humidity: 79% TIDES Low: 04.30 High: 11.28 17.03 22.30 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.321 Rivalry intensifies as BJP, INDIA bloc allies vie for migrant vote in Margao Kejriwal fails to get relief, SC puts off bail plea hearing Facebook.com/thegoan 2 INDIA CBI arrests 4 for pushing Indians into Russia-Ukraine war 7 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO How to do a cucumber facial at home in three easy steps 11 SPORTS Delhi Capitals beats Rajasthan Royals by 20 runs 13 GOA SPEAKS ITS ‘MANN KI BAAT’  FATE OF CANDIDATES SEALED  OVER 75% CAST VOTES  YOUNG, OLD, INFIRM COME OUT TO VOTE AMID SCORCHING HEAT  SEVERAL EVMs DEVELOP SNAGS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The young, the old and even the infirm, many on wheelchairs, kept their date with elections in Goa on Tuesday. They turned up at the 1725 polling booths in robust numbers, got their index fingers inked and cast their votes to choose their next representative in the lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha from both the North Goa and South Goa constituencies. Across the State, people braved the scorching heat which breached the 34 degrees centigrade mark for well over five of 11 hours of voting between 7 am and 6 pm. In at least eight booths across both the parliamentary seats, voters were burdened with an additional wait in queues outside as polling there had been suspended for time-periods ranging from thirty minutes to an hour because of malfunction of either the Electronic Voting Machines or the Voter Verifiable Party (RGP). In South Goa, the contest, in the main, is between the BJP’s Pallavi Dempo and the Congress’ Captain Viriato Fernandes. Like in the North, the RGP has also fielded a candidate in the South -- Rubert Pereira. In both the seats there are five more candidates each in the fray mostly independents and candidates of minor parties. Voters queue up at a polling booth in South Goa on Tuesday.  Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. At the end of the day, election officials came up with clichéd summaries of Tuesday’s poll process: “Polling was peaceful and incident free.” However, the official version does not quite tell the With over 70% vote in hinterland, INDIA bloc leaders rush to allay fears of workers Voting disrupted for 30 minutes at model polling booth in Canacona story of Tuesday’s 11 hours of polling in which nearly 75% of Goa’s 11-odd lakh voters moved from their homes to their designated polling booths to exercise this quintessential right-cum-duty of political democracy. Vying for the honours in Santosh Mirajkar North Goa are two septuagenarian politicians -- incumbent MP Shripad Naik of the BJP and former MP Ramakant Khalap of the Congress. The third horse in the race is Manoj Parab, the boisterous head of the nascent regional party -- Revolutionary Goans O N PA G ES 2 , 3 & 5 Technical glitches halt voting in Salcete; voters raise concerns over VVPAT visibility CEO’s efforts tested as heat mitigation arrangements encounter challenges Silent voting, sudden surge intrigues observers in Bardez POLL POURRI: ECI confused over nationality? CRPF accused of driving out agents from polling station in VOTING FERVOUR Since early morning on Tuesday, movement of people to their designated polling booths was brisk and there was enthusiasm even among seniors and wheel-chair bound infirm in most areas. There was also disappointment, bordering on angst, on the faces of some others, whose throats were parched by the scorching heat and who were looking forward to the ECI promised lemon juice but didn’t get one. Reports of >Continued on P7 Cansaulim How the political class reacted Porvorim voter files plaint, claims ink on finger vanishes Aleixo, Digambar, Reginaldo keep fingers crossed TOTAL VOTING PERCENTAGE: 75.22 NORTH GOA % Highest: Poriem 76.54 81.04% SOUTH GOA % Lowest: Vasco 73.90 67.1% EC’s thirst-quenching plan fizzles out on voting day MAPUSA: The State Chief Electoral Officer’s grand plan to quench the thirst of voters amidst scorching heat ended up as a tragic comedy on the voting day. The electorate, with parched throats and raised eyebrows, lambasted the Election Commission for their failure to deliver or rather falling way short on their promise. What was supposed to be a refreshing oasis in the desert of democracy turned into a desert mirage, as the much-awaited refreshment drinks arrived late at various polling stations. And to add insult to thirst, the quantity was as scanty as a politician’s promises during campaign season.  >> See pg 3 EVMs at over 6 poll booths play truant, leave voters stranded PANAJI: Amidst the heightened focus on efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) particularly after recent Supreme Court of India proceedings which ultimately ruled in favour of the technology, voters in Goa faced long delays in at least half-a-dozen booths at multiple locations due to their malfunction throughout Tuesday’s polling for the two Lok Sabha seats -- North Goa and South Goa..  Technical glitches were cited by officials as reasons which led to polling being suspended in some cases for over an hour.  >> See pg 2 Ire over ‘Smart City’ mess? Did expectations fall short in Benaulim, Panaji records low turnout Velim & Nuvem for INDI Alliance? SEC DATA SHOWS THAT JUST 67% VOTED 7 OF 8 ASSEMBLY SEGMENTS IN SALCETE REGISTER LOW TURNOUT THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The North Goa Assembly segment comprising the capital city Panaji logged the lowest number of voters, in terms of a percentage of the total electorate in it, who turned up at polling booths to get their index finger inked by casting their votes. Many, specially ‘karyakatas’ and supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are blaming this low turnout scenario on the troubles faced by residents due to the chaos unleashed by the continuous execution of ‘smart city’ projects over the last two years. “Look at what the state of our city has become. Many people are angry and have not come out to vote to sort of reg- CAUSE & EFFECT „„Booths of capital city’s BJP fortress running alongside Atmaram Borkar road and Dada Vaidya Road recorded below par voting turnout „„Last estimates issued by EC at 5 pm, an hour before voting closed, pegged Panaji’s voter turnout at 67.26% „„Almost every other assembly segment had breached 70% mark ister their protest,” said a popular city restaurateur who is known to be a BJP supporter. Even in the booths of the capital city’s BJP fortress running alongside the Atmaram Borkar road and Dada Vaidya Road recorded below par voting turnout. Although final voter turnout figures have not officially been released, the last es- timates issued by the Election Commission at 5 pm, an hour before voting closed, pegged Panaji’s voter turnout at 67.26% when almost every other assembly segment had breached the 70% mark. Campaigning in the capital city by both the BJP’s Shripad Naik as well as the Congress’ Ramakant Khalap had been low key.  MARGAO Did the voter turnout in the three minority-dominated Assembly segments of Benaulim, Velim and Nuvem fall short of expectations when there was as surge of voters in the hinterland talukas, considered the bastion of the BJP? This question did the rounds in political circles at 5 pm on polling day just an hour before polling ended at 6 pm when statistics showed that the seven out of the eight Assembly segments in Salcete did not cross the 70 per cent mark when their counterparts in the hinterland segments of Ponda, Madkai, Shiroda, Sanvordem, Curchorem, Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona had surpassed the 70 per cent figure. Nuvem voters at a polling booth on Tuesday.   Santosh Mirajkar This question assumed significance when the Congress and INDI Alliance have been expecting an one-sided voting in the three segments of Benaulim, Velim and Nuvem in order to the achieve the 70,000 vote lead from Salcete. In fact, political observers pointed out that polling additional 3-5 per cent in these three segments would have kept the Congress and INDI Alliance candidate in good stead when the hinterland segments have recorded huge voter turnout. Questions were raised whether the higher turnout of voters could not be achieved in Benaulim and Velim for want of organization or sim- Political observers pointed out that polling additional 3 to 5 per cent in three segments -- Benaulim, Velim & Nuvem -- would have kept the Congress and INDI Alliance candidate in good stead when the hinterland segments have recorded huge voter turnout. ply lack of coordination between the Alliance partners. Benaulim Aam Admi party (AAP) MLA Venzy Viegas, however, begged to differ. In fact, he came out with startling statistics blaming the less turn out to the absence of voters, who are either >Continued on P7 3rd phase records 65% turnout, Kids find `3 cr stashed by father in bank lockers T H E `3 C R O R E SAG A clashes erupt in West Bengal UMESH ZARMEKAR THE GOAN I MAPUSA PTI NEW DELHI A nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence in West Bengal. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 75.53 per cent followed by Goa at 74.47 per cent and West Bengal at 73.93 per cent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 55.54 per cent, with Bihar at 56.55 per cent and and Gujarat at 56.98 per cent doing slightly better, according to the figures from Assam recorded the highest turnout at 75.53 per cent followed by Goa at 74.47 per cent and West Bengal at 73.93 per cent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 55.54 per cent the Election Commission at 9 pm. The overall voting percentage was around 61.89 per cent. According to the EC, the figures are an “approximate trend” and are likely to rise as data is being collected. While the official time for the voting to conclude is 6 pm, it can go beyond to enable voters who have come in the queue before the end of fixed polling hours to exercise their franchise. Among other states and UTs, Uttar Pradesh recorded 57.34 per cent polling, Chhattisgarh 67.64 per cent, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 65.23 per cent, Karnataka 68.85 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 64.02 per cent, according to the EC. As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in the third phase and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials had been set up. Parents usually save money and jewellery during their lifetime and bequeath it to their children before or shortly after they are no more. Imagine then the surprise of the children of a man, who passed away about 12 years ago, to find a staggering amount of about Rs 3 crore in currency notes and some jewellery stored in bank lockers which he and his wife had faithfully saved during their lifetime. But in an unusual twist of fate, the money was virtually useless as the currency were all in the demonetised notes. This unusual story begins when a gentleman from Bar- „„A man from Bardez had opened three lockers at Mapusa bank -- two in his name and one in his wife’s name „„His wife passes away and her locker was operated by him... He too passes away around 2012 „„Twelve years later, his children arrive in Goa with intention to sell their property *They look through documents, stumble upon bank papers & locker keys „„After due process, they open the lockers and are shocked to find bundles of notes along with some jewellery „„Cash amounted to Rs 3 crore, however the currency was in demonetised notes „„Children had to be content with jewellery which was worth a few lakhs dez had opened three lockers at a bank in Mapusa, two in his name and one in his wife’s name. After his wife passed away, her locker was also being operated by him. The gentleman passed away some time around 2012. Twelve years later, his children who were abroad arrived in Goa with the intention to sell their property. While looking through documents in their ancestral house, the children stumbled upon some bank documents and locker keys. The children then contacted the bank and showed them the bank documents. After following up in the matter, the bank officers allowed the children to open the lockers of their deceased father. On May 6, the children along with the officers opened the lockers after 12 years and they were shocked to find bundles of notes along with some jewellery. The cash was then counted and it was found to be a staggering amount of about Rs 3 crore. The cash was, however, worthless as the currency was in the demonetised notes. The children had to be content with the jewellery which was worth a few lakhs of rupees. The children claimed had no clue that their parents had left behind such a huge amount of cash or else, they would have withdrawn the money from these lockers after their father’s demise. They were also surprised that their parents had made such huge savings during their lifetime.