Team Herald
PANJIM: A total of 51 candidates are in the fray from 15 Wards in 11 panchayats which will be going for by-polls on July 1. Counting of votes will be on Sunday.
Leticia Miranda, a woman from Ward III of Betalbatim, has been elected unopposed. Some 10,623 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on Saturday.
The State Election Commission said that voting will take place at 17 polling stations from 8 am to 5 pm. Nearly 100 staff will be deployed to man the stations.
The by-elections are held following directions from the High Court that had stayed the elections in these 15 wards after aspiring candidates had approached the Court challenging the delimitation and reservation process undertaken by the government.
The 11 panchayats includes Bastora (Ward I) with six candidates, Anjuna-Caisua (Ward I) four candidates, Penha-de-Franca (Ward VIII & IX) three candidates each in the two wards, Curca-Bambolim (Ward I) two candidates, Merces (Ward VI) two candidates, Advalpal (Ward V) three candidates, Betki-Khandola (Ward V & VI) five and three candidates each, Nuvem (Ward X) four candidates, Betalbatim (Ward V, VII) three and two candidates each, Chandor (Ward V) three candidates and Sancoale (Ward V & VI) five and three candidates each.
July 1 will be observed as ‘dry day’ in the respective wards while July 2 will be ‘dry day’ for the 11 panchayats, whose counting of votes was not taken up due to the by-polls in the disputed wards.
Counting will take place in nine places in six talukas. In Bicholim counting is scheduled at Mamlatdar office, in Bardez counting will take place at three different centers of Sports Complex, Peddem, in Tiswadi counting will be held at Pharmacy College, in Ponda it will be at the Mamlatdar office, in Salcete it will be at the District Collectorate building and for Mormugao it will be at MPT Institute hall.
