Team Herald
PONDA: The 74 candidates, whose electoral fate was sealed on April 29, have been spending sleepless nights since then, which would end either in a shock or joy on May 7, when the Ponda civic poll results are declared.
Notwithstanding the fact that only 15 of the 74 candidates would be winners, every candidate is confident that he/she would emerge as a winner. The leaders of the panels backed by the political parties are no exception to exuding confidence. When asked “What were the chances of their respective panels winning majority of the wards in the Ponda municipality?” each one of them confidently said that their respective panels would cross the magic figure and form the council.
Meanwhile, political observers say that since there are too many candidates in the fray, 2-4 independents may emerge as winners. They also predicted that no panel floated by the political parties would be able to cross the magic figure of winning 8 wards to from the council. They say that post results, some of the panels will have to come together to form a ruling coalition.
During the 2013 civic polls, BJP and MGP fought the election together and won 13 wards, while the Congress managed to win just one.
