Team Herald

MAPUSA: Municipal Council Election in Mapusa concluded peacefully on Friday with total voting rate of 68.57 per cent. There are 16403 male and 17080 female eligible voters in Mapusa municipality. However since two to four booths were placed in one single polling station, it created confusion amongst the voters.

While the first half of the day received 50.21 per cent response, voters moved out of their homes during the first two hours and later after 12 to 2pm. However the second half of the day witness very low footfall with only 18 per cent presence. Senior citizens as well as youth responded positively for the MMC polls.

Apparently, COVID infection received low response to the MMC polls during the second half. Overall, women voters participated enthusiastically.

All of 44 polling booths in Mapusa had managed to maintain social distancing abiding by the COVID SoPs like using face masks, checking of temperature with thermal gun and using hand sanitizer.

While few polling booths received good response throughout the day especially polling stations in ward 7, 8, 9 where there was rush throughout the day, few polling booths received very low response like in ward 11. In the last one hour, COVID positive patients arrived to cast their votes.

There are three panels that positioned candidates for the MMC polls. However, the direct fight is between the BJP-backed panel and panel floated by Mapushekarancho Ekvot that has its fifteen candidates. The Shri Bodgeshwar Development front also has five candidates in the fray. The Direct fight can be seen in ward 9, 13 and ward 19. There are 81 candidates in the fray with 44 independent candidates.

SP North Utkrisht Prasoon, DySp Gajanan Prabhudesai had also visited polling booths at St Xaviers Higher secondary.