Team Herald
MARGAO: Voting in Salcete began on a dull and dreary note thanks to the inclement weather and wrong time of voting that commenced only at 8 am as against 7 am for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
For the Catholic community voting at 7 am is welcome as they can go to exercise their franchise immediately after attending the first service on Sunday that is normally at 6 am and ends in one hour. However, as today’s elections began at 8 am people went home after the first service to come later and then the showers in the morning also dampened spirits.
Paroda that has a sizeable Hindu population was the only panchayat in Salcete to record over 20 per cent voting by 10 am that is two hours after voting began. Telaulim where two panchas are elected unopposed came second with 20.33 per cent voting at 10 am closely followed by Nagoa where 20.31 per cent voted.
The lowest voting by 10 am was at Davorlim Rumdamoll where only 11.67 per cent had voted followed by Assolna with 11.68% .However, by noon the situation improved.
Meanwhile, Returning Officer II, till 10.45 pm could not furnish the figures for final voting percentage in the 13 panchayats where elections were held under him.
In the other 22 panchayats, Verna recorded the highest voting percentage of 77.03 per cent followed by Paroda where 75.90 per cent voters voted.
The lowest percentage of voting being 62.65 per cent was recorded at Chandor.
Cavorim village where there were no elections held in two wards where one was elected unopposed and in the other ward elections were countermanded. The second lowest voting percentage was at Velim where 64.13 per cent voted.
with Nagoa recording the highest turnout of 43.59 per cent followed by Verna where 42.91 per cent had voted. The lowest turnout of only 28.39 per cent at 12 noon was reported at Assolna panchayat followed by Aquem where 30.14 per cent cast their votes.
By 4 pm most villages had recorded over 60 per cent voting with the exception of Chandor-Cavorim and Velim.
While only 55.40 per cent had voted at Chandor Cavorim by 4 pm in Velim 59.98 per cent had voted.
