TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Voters in 50 constituencies across rural Goa will vote Wednesday for their representatives to the two Zilla Panchayats in the State. The North Goa ZP and South Goa ZP have 25 seats each.
This is the first ZP election being held on party lines, with the ruling alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Vikas Party (GVP) and two Independent MLAs tying up for the poll. The opposition Congress has stayed away from fielding candidates on their party symbol and is supporting independent candidates.
The polls will see some tough fights with local MLAs attempting to hold control of the villages in their constituencies fielding their trusted lieutenants as candidates. With two years to the next Assembly election, this ZP poll will indicate the support the political parties currently have.
In North Goa, six flying squads headed by an Executive magistrate will monitor the law and order situation and maintain general surveillance, North Goa Collector Nilu Mohannan told media Tuesday.
Interacting with media on the eve of the ZP elections, the north Goa collector said that security had been increased in the past 48 hours and all agencies are maintaining high vigilance throughout North Goa and ADMs and executive magistrates have been deployed since last night.
“Excise squads are moving around in each taluka. Police teams are also on high alert,” Mohannan said, adding there have been only four complaints and those too of a very minor nature in North Goa.
