Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane are amongst the seven candidates in the fray for the August 23 Panjim and Valpoi Assembly constituency by-elections.
Of the 11 candidates who had filed their nominations, four were rejected during the scrutiny. No nominations were withdrawn on Wednesday.
In Panjim the candidates are Parrikar (BJP), Girish Chodankar (Congress), Anand Shirodkar (Goa Suraksha Manch) and Kenneth Silveira (Independent). In Valpoi, the candidates are Rane (BJP), Roy Naik (Congress) and Rohidas Gaonkar (Independent).
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices will be used for the polling purpose. In all 51,032 voters are eligible to cast their vote, which include 26,058 female voters and 24,974 male voters. Counting of votes will take place on August 28 at the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG).
The Valpoi Assembly seat had fallen vacant following the resignation of then Congress MLA Rane on March 16. BJP MLA Siddharth Kuncolienkar had tendered his resignation on May 10 paving the way for Parrikar to contest the election.
