Goa: 52 per cent turnout in Benaulim zilla panchayat bypoll

Panaji, Jun 23 (PTI) About 52 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in the bye election for the zilla panchayat seat of the Benaulim constituency on Sunday, officials said.

The election is crucial for the opposition INDIA bloc as it has fielded AAP’s Joseph Pimenta against three independents – Royla Fernandes, a Congress rebel, Greyyfern Fernandes and Frank Fernandes.

The state election commission said that 52.12 per cent of the total voters exercised their franchise at Benaulim, which is a part of the South Goa Lok Sabha seat.

Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Goa Forward Party and other opposition parties have blacked Pimenta.

AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar said though the BJP did not officially contest the bypoll, it has given its tacit support to two independent candidates.

He said the BJP is pulling all the stops to defeat the INDIA bloc candidate.

The Benaulim zilla panchayat bypoll was necessitated after AAP leader Hanzel Fernandes was disqualified over false caste certificate. The constituency is reserved for OBC candidates.

AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said all opposition parties are unitedly fighting against the BJP-backed candidates in this election.

Independent candidate Royla Fernandes, who had moved a state tribunal resulting in the disqualification of Hanzel Fernandes, accused AAP of spreading false propaganda.

“I have the support of all the local Congress leaders,” she said. Royla had resigned as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary before filing her nomination as an independent candidate. PTI RPS NR