MARGAO: Hundreds of supporters of tourism minister Francisco “Mickky” Pacheco
clashed with police outside the control room at Fatorda stadium soon after
polls to the zilla panahcyat ended on Sunday with Mickky-backed Nuvem candidate
Francisco Mascarenhas complaining of anomalies.
Trouble began when the ballot boxes were being brought in to the control room.
Mascarenhas approached the returning officer expressing doubts that the ballot
box from booth No 8 of Nuvem constituency had not been properly sealed while
being stored inside the gunny bag. Subsequently, returning officer Sanjeev
Desai called both candidates—the complainant as well as rival Wilfred D’Sa—and
opened the sealed gunny bag in the presence of the duo. After convincing the
complainant that the ballot box had been properly sealed and that his doubts
were unfounded, the gunny bag was re-sealed.
Meanwhile, the issue snowballed into a political fracas, and Pacheco,
accompanied by hundreds of supporters barged into the stadium. Power minister
Aleixo Sequeira and his supporters also arrived at the stadium and the rival
groups clashed.
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