The white walls of the Chicalim Church in south Goa gleam under the sun as around 40 Goans file into a high-ceilinged hall with chandeliers. At 7 am, before morning mass begins, Father Bolmax Pereira walks up to the altar and says a quick prayer in Konkani for the 12 parties and 301 candidates contesting the upcoming poll.
As Bolmax later sits down for breakfast, a woman interrupts him. “We must have a prayer for elections. Hardly a few days left,” she says; he agrees to let her know.
