Goa Diary

He told a Reuters correspondent the ISI was planning to blow up Goa and Bangalore with plastic explosives just when he was scheduled to visit the two places. The minister8217;s disclosure came close on the heels of explosives being seized from trains passing through these places.

However when the local media cornered him for further clarifications, Advani backtracked. He insisted that these reports were first published by the Kerala press and needed to be confirmed by investigative agencies.

Voters8217; Free For All

It is extremely easy for anyone to register as a voter in Goa. All you have to do is fill in the appropriate form issued by the Election Commission, as this diarist discovered.

Comeelection day a voter can go ahead and cast his or her vote, again with no questions asked about identity. No wonder cities like Mumbai have a large number of aliens from neighbouring countries masquerading as Indian nationals.

Missing Mine Owners

Goa8217;s mine owners who quarry their wealth from the bowels of the earth are in great demand in election season. Every single candidate irrespective of political affiliation comes knocking for largesse to woo the electorate. So it was no surprise when all the mine owners of Goa did the vanishing act a week before the polls.

Dead Man In The Reckoning

Thanks to the modification of rules by the Election Commission, polls need not be countermanded should an independent candidate die on the eve of an election. So when perennial defector and independent candidate Deu Mandrekar passed away on polling eve, there was no change in the plans. Thousands of people flocked to Mandrekar8217;s funeral. Some even voted for him on polling day. He managed to bag 296votes.

Tailpiece

Congress lightweight Alexio Sequiera is competing with six other party leaders for the chief minister8217;s post. His reason: he won his seat unopposed while the rest had to rough it out!