PANJIM: Thirty seven candidates filed their nominations for 30 seats of Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) on Wednesday, taking the total count to 74, till date.
According to information given by the GSEC, 125 nominations were received from three municipal councils in North Goa. A total of 55 nominations were received in Bicholim, 32 in Valpoi and 38 in Pernem municipal council.
Prominent candidates like former CCP mayor and corporator Surendra Furtado (ward no. 6), his wife corporator Ruth Furtado (ward no. 9), corporator Rekha Kande (ward no. 21) and former corporator Suresh Naik Chopdekar (ward no. 28), AAP spokesperson Malisa Simoes and former government officer Rupa Dalvi (ward no. 26) filed their nominations among others.
‘We Ponjekars’-backed 14 candidates—Devendra Kuttikar (ward no. 2), Meera Medhakar (ward no. 12), Varuna Mandrekar (ward no. 15), Ramnath Bandodkar (ward no. 16), Damodar Vaigankar (ward no. 20), Sayed Khadri (ward no. 23), Uma Volvoikar (ward no. 24), Vassudev Manerkar (ward no. 25) and Muktamala Fondvekar (ward no. 30) and others submitted their nomination papers to the returning officer. ‘We Ponjekars’ has extended ‘outside support’ to Rekha Kande in ward no 21.
‘We Ponjekars’ co-convenor Sandeep Heble told Herald that remaining candidates including him would be filing their nomination papers today, March 4, which is incidentally the last day for file nominations. “We are not fielding candidate in ward no. 21 where we have extended our support to outgoing corporator Rekha Kande,” Heble said.
Former CCP deputy mayor Dennis Edward Jorge (ward.no 17) backed by Panjim MLA Babush Monserrate filed his nomination papers, while outgoing corporator Pramay Mainkar (ward 13), Vishnu Naik (ward 10) and Varsha Shetye (ward no. 12) were also around to file filed their second set of nominations.
Meanwhile, the Goa State Election Commission (GSEC) has stated that not more than two nominations will be accepted by the returning officer from any candidate in the same ward of CCP or municipal council.
Similarly, 289 nominations have been received in six municipal councils which are set to go to polls on March 30.
Also 164 nominations were received for Cuncolim, Curchorem-Cacora and Canacona municipal councils. In all 74 nominations were received for Cuncolim followed by 50 for Curchorem-Cacora and 409 for Canacona municipal council.
Four nominations were received for Navelim Zlla Panchayat (ZP) by-election taking the total number of nominations to five on Wednesday while, no nomination was received for ward no. 9 of Sankhali municipal council on Wednesday.
Former Navelim ZP Member Edwin alias Cipru Cardozo and AAP candidate Matilda D’Silva filed their nominations for Navelim ZP by-poll. Apart from that 11 nominations were received for 22 wards of different village panchayats taking the total number of nominations to 40.
