PANJIM: After withdrawal of nominations by six candidates, a total of 31 candidates have remained in the fray for the panchayat and Zilla Panchayat (ZP) by-elections, to be held on June 23.
After scrutiny, nominations of 37 candidates were found to be valid on Thursday. A total of 39 nominations were filed for the 10 wards of different village panchayats and lone Benaulim ZP bye-elections. However, two nomination papers were found to be invalid during scrutiny.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), the candidates who withdrew their candidature in the bye-elections were Prasad Kalidas Wadkar and Suasha Subhash Halarnkar both in ward X (SC) in Socorro panchayat, Maria Nita Bertilha Terezinha Do Menino Jesus Monteiro in ward 1 (women) in Assolna panchayat, Shakuntala Vinayak Jalmi in ward III (SC) in Querim panchayat and Sanjay Pandurang Naik in ward II (OBC) in Xeldem panchayat.
There will be straight fight in five wards while, triangular battle is on cards in three wards and two wards will witness quadrangular fight.
There are two candidates namely Paresh Pandurang Punaji and Shrikant Uttam Chiknekar in ward number II of Cudnem panchayat.
The ward number II of Volvoi panchayat will witness a contest between Ankita Ankush Naik and Sarvesh Ramnath Naik.
Ward number V (reserved for ST women) of Rachol panchayat will witness a straight fight between Jancita Fernandes and Meefa Terin Dias while ward number II (reserved for women) of Seraulim panchayat too will see straight battle between Reshma Rufia D’Cruz and Elma D’Costa.
In ward number I (reserved for women) of Assolna panchayat, there are only two candidates namely Vandana Budhalkar and Elma D’Costa,in the fray.
In ward number III (reserved for ST candidates) in Querim panchayat, there are three candidates namely Pradeep Purshottam Jalmi, Ramkrishna Babuso Jalmi and Vishant Shamba Kerkar.
In ward number XI of Borim panchayat, there are three candidates namely Dattesh Ramesh Naik, Nutan Santosh Naik and Shivanand Tulshidas Gaunkar.
Also in ward number II (reserved for OBC candidates) of Xeldem panchayat, a triangular battle is on cards between Prakash Damu Naik, Swaranjali Vithoba Naik and Trupti Sagar Gauns Dessai.
The ward number VII (reserved for women) in Cundaim panchayat will see a quadrangular fight between Priyanka Pundalik Gaude, Rajeshri Monu Gaude, Rajvi Ravikanth Gaude and Sajana Sudesh Naik.
The ward number X (reserved for SC candidates) in the Socorro panchayat will too witness a four cornered contest. The candidates are Heramb Haresh Halarnkar, Kajol Kalidas Wadkar, Sanjay Subhash Redkar and Subhash Ramanath Halarnkar.
For Benaulim ZP bye-election, four candidates have remained in the fray after Pradeep Verlekar, an independent candidate, withdrew his candidature. The candidates, who are in the fray, included Joseph Jesus Gabriel Pimenta (Aam Aadmi Party) and Frank Fernandes, Grrayfans Fernandes and Royla Fernandes, all independents.
