PANJIM: State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday announced dates of the bye election to Benaulim Zilla Panchayat Constituency and 10 wards of 10 different Panchayats to be held on June 24.
Along with Benaulim ZP constituency, the vacant Village Panchayat wards which will go for polls are Ward VII-Kundaim, Ward II-Volvoi, Ward III-Querim, Ward XI Borim in Ponda Taluka, Ward V-Rachol, Ward II Seraulim, Ward I Assolna in Salcete Taluka, Ward II-Cudnem in Bicholim Taluka, Ward II-Xeldem in Quepem Taluka and Ward X-Socorro in Bardez Taluka.
The polling will be held from 8 am to 5 pm on June 23 while the counting of votes would take place the next day i.e. on June 24.
The expenditure limits for the ZP polls is Rs 5 lakh while for the Village Panchayat polls it is Rs 40,000.
Benaulim Zilla Panchayat (ZP) constituency fell vacant following disqualification of lone Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ZP Member Henzel Fernandes.
However, the appeal filed by Fernandes challenging his disqualification is pending before the Supreme Court.
On January 11 this year, the Administrative Tribunal disqualified Fernandes on the grounds that the Christian Mesta community, to which Fernandes belongs, is not included in the State list of Other Backward Classes (OBC).
In August 2023, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had declared the OBC certificate issued to ZP member Henzel Fernandes, as invalid.
Congress candidate Royla Fernandes, who lost the 2020 ZP election, had approached the Administrative Tribunal seeking disqualification of Fernandes and to declare her elected as the Benaulim ZP member.
