Team Herald
PANJIM: An estimated 71.47 per cent of eligible voters cast their votes in the five municipal councils that went to the polls on Friday amid rising COVID cases. This is far lower than the 83.16 per cent voter turnout registered a month ago at the polls to six municipal councils and the Corporation of the City of Panaji.
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The highest 81.48 per cent polling was recorded in the 10 wards of Sanguem Municipal Council while, the lowest 64.25 per cent polling was recorded in the Margao Municipal Council.
Quepem Municipal Council recorded 78.01 per cent polling followed by 68.57 per cent polling in Mapusa and 65.04 per cent polling in Mormugao Municipal Council.
The fate of 402 candidates contesting municipal polls and seven candidates contesting panchayat by-elections were sealed in ballot and would be known on Monday morning when counting of votes will be taken up.
The voting which began on a slow pace in the morning amid the COVID scare gradually picked up pace in most of the municipal wards and gathered momentum in the evening as voters seemed to have taken time to beat the summer heat. The drop in polling could be due to the rising number of COVID cases in the State. On Friday the State recorded 1410 new cases. At many places the women turned out more than the men.
However, polling showed an increasing trend in Sanguem Municipal Council till it ended at 5pm. Ward 10 in Sanguem recorded the highest 89.87 per cent polling.
Urban Development Minister Milind Naik, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza cast votes in their respective wards.
The polling was held in a peaceful manner and by strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocol by voters while exercising their franchise.
As polling ended, prominent leaders of political parties expressed confidence of their panels winning in the municipalities.
