MARGAO: Altogether 849 candidates will be contesting in 278 wards of the 33 panchayats going to polls in Salcete taluka following the countermanding of polls in one ward of Chandor-Cavorim which had two candidates vying for the seat.
Incidentally, 11 candidates have been declared elected unopposed in eight panchayats including one who has been declared elected unopposed from two wards of the same panchayat.
Significantly, only two candidates have been elected unopposed in wards in general categories and both are from ward No 5. While one was from Telaulim panchayat the other was from Chandor-Cavorim panchayat. All others elected unopposed are from wards reserved for either women or ST or OBC.
There are direct fights between only two candidates in 110 wards with the highest number being from Curtorim wherein six of the 11 wards there will be a direct contest. While there will be a direct contest in only one of the seven wards of Carmona and also Rumdamoll Davorlim panchayat.
Interestingly, in all the five wards of Rachol panchayat there are straight fights and in Macasana all the four wards where there is a straight fight are from general category.
Amongst the villages having 11 wards, Aquem Baixo has the highest number of candidates being 47 even though in three wards of this panchayat there is a straight fight between two candidates.
Amongst the villages having 9 wards, Majorda-Utorda-Calata has the highest number of candidates being 36 even though in this village there is a straight fight between only two candidates in two wards.
Amongst the panchayats having seven wards Rumdamol Davorlim where there is a direct contest between two candidates in one ward, altogether there are 31 candidates in the fray.
The highest number of candidates in a ward can be found in Davorlim-Dicarpale panchayat where in ward Nos 2 and 9 there are nine candidates contesting in each of these wards which are in general category.
