PANJIM: Campaigning for Sunday’s Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections ended on Friday. Some 31,648 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect the 30 councillors on March 6. Total 22 polling stations have been identified as vulnerable and sensitive.
Voters have 95 candidates from three panels – Panjim First (BJP), Progress for Panjim (Atanasio Monserrate) and United Panjim Front (Congress) – from which to choose their councillors. Eight wards will see straight fights, 14 wards will have triangular fights and the other wards have four or more candidates in the fray.
One candidate Ratnakar Fatarpekar, a BJP rebel, is contesting from two wards – Ward Nos 18 and 21.
Addressing media persons, District Election Officer (DEO) for CCP Swapnil Naik said, “Total 31,648 voters are eligible to vote which include 16,430 female voters and 15,218 male voters.”
Naik said that based on the polling booth cluster and community and voting cluster, 15 booths have been identified as sensitive and seven as vulnerable. The seven polling booths include five in Bhatlem and two in the area near Mahalaxmi temple.
Polling will be held at 68 polling stations with 385 polling staffers on duty. The District Collectorate has deployed three flying squads, one each looking after ten wards. There will also be 178 police personnel on duty.
“We have issued a notification under Section 144 of CrPC for closure of all shops, establishments, hotels and restaurants within 200 meters radius of the polling booth on the voting day,” Naik said adding that dry days have been announced on March 5, 6 and 8 – the counting day.
