Navin Ramgoolam, the leader of the Labour Party, is standing as a candidate for the first time in Constituency No. 10 (Montagne Blanche / GRSE) under the banner of L’Alliance Nationale. Despite being elected five times in Constituency No. 5 (Triolet / Pamplemousses) (1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010), he was defeated in the legislative elections of 2014. Putting great trust in the people of Constituency No. 10 to regain his seat as Prime Minister, Ramgoolam campaigned in the constituency alongside his supporters before casting his vote.
During a press declaration in the afternoon, Navin Ramgoolam alleged that a person had been encouraging voters to photograph their ballot with their mobile phones, offering Rs 1,000 for ballots that showed three crosses for a specific party. He expressed frustration, citing such fraudulent incidents. Additionally, he noted the absence of many people’s names on the voter’s list and criticized the use of bus passes by some voters to cast their votes. He also claimed that there were cases of individuals voting on behalf of others.
However, when asked about these allegations, the Electoral Commissioner Irfan Rahman stated on Radio Plus that no such incidents had been reported.
Meanwhile, Zahid Nazurally, a candidate for L’Alliance Morisien, highlighted the low voter turnout, attributing it to intimidation, especially given that the voting day fell in the middle of the week. Despite this, he expressed hope that more voters would turn up by the close of polls at 18h.
Vinay Koonjul, a candidate of the MMM, reported that everything was calm with no major incidents in the Constituency. He mentioned launching the “operation grattage” in the afternoon to reach the maximum number of voters. Regarding his opponents, including Navin Ramgoolam, he acknowledged the influence a former prime minister might have but stressed that every candidate was starting from the same position in the constituency. He also criticized “money politics,” stating that it posed a threat to democracy.