VALPOI: Nearly 85.50 per cent polling was recorded in nine wards of Valpoi Municipal Council on Saturday. One candidate Nirmala Sakhalkar has already been declared elected unopposed from ward 8.
A total of 5166 voters including 2504 males and 2662 females exercised their franchise to elect their new town fathers. Only one COVID-19 positive voter cast his vote.
Ward 1 recorded 91.78 per cent polling followed by 89.46 per cent and 89.30 per cent polling in ward 4 and ward 2 respectively. Ward 7 with 79.94% recorded the lowest polling.
The other wards include Ward 3- 81.07%; ward 5- 87.32%, ward 6- 80.06%, ward 9- 86.69% and ward 10- 83.18%.
The fate of 23 candidates in the fray will be known on Monday, March 22, when the ballot boxes will be taken up for counting.
Prominent among the candidates who fate was sealed include three outgoing councillors Anil Katkar (ward 1), Ramdas Shirodkar (ward 2) and Sayyed Sarfaraj Shamshoddin (ward 7).
It is a straight fight in six wards, while a triangular battle is on cards in ward 2 and quadrangular clash in wards 4 and 9. All candidates have expressed confidence of winning while, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane also claimed that the candidates supported by him will emerge victorious.
Polling started at 8 am and slowly picked up and around 48 per cent polling was recorded by noon.
9 wards in Valpoi register 85.50 per cent polling
