PONDA: A total of 726 nominations have been filed for 19 village panchayats of Ponda taluka.
There was a huge response from candidates including women in Ponda taluka. The former sarpanchas and panchayat members have again thrown their hat in the ring while, some are event trying their luck in adjacent wards after their wards were declared reserved.
Due to reservation of wards for candidates belonging to OBC, SC, ST and women, many former sarpanchas and panchayat members were seen looking for safer wards.
The first-timers who filed nominations appeared unhappy over former panchayat members recontesting the elections. They were of the opinion those panchas who had been elected two to three times should pave way for new faces.
515 nominations filed in Bardez on the last day: On the last day of filing nominations, the Pernem returning officers received 79 nominations from 17 village panchayats taking the total number of nominations to 515 while, Bardez taluka received 274 nominations from 33 village panchayats with total nominations of 1263.
Total of 309 nominations filed in Quepem:
As many as 126 women candidates filed their nomination papers in Quepem taluka taking the total number of nominations to 309 . Of these two candidates were declared elected unopposed as no other candidates filed their nominations against them.
Quepem returning officer Pratap Rao Gaonkar informed that a total of 309 nominations were received from 290 candidates for the 11 village panchayats.
Gaonkar further informed that two women candidates Anju Malu Velip in ward 7of Bali village panchayat and Vidhi Vinod Velip in ward 6 of Cavrem-Pirla village panchayat were declared elected unopposed.
211 nominations filed at Sanguem: Sanguem returning officer informed that a total of 211 nominations have been received from candidates in seven village panchayats including two village panchayats from Sanvordem Assembly constituency.
On the final day of filing nominations, as many as 64 nominations were filed in Sanguem taluka.
Objections filed at the time of scrutiny in Salcete: The returning officer-1 informed that his office received seven objections at the time of scrutiny on Tuesday.
After conducting the hearings in the evening hours, only one nomination from Cana-Benaulim village panchayat was to be invalid and rejected as one of the candidates was to be underage. Even the objection filed against former Raia sarpanch Esmeralda Fernandes was dismissed, the returning officer informed.
Meanwhile, one of the candidates who was declared elected unopposed felt happy to get elected unopposed. “I had served the village panchayat in the past for nearly one year and people of my ward felt that I should be given another opportunity to serve them”, he stated.
