BICHOLIM
When Ganga Purushottam Gawde of Ghadiwada-Surla turned up to vote at the panchayat elections, she did not draw much attention. But when relatives disclosed her age as 101, voters in the queue were left in awe of the voter who had exercised her franchise on Wednesday.
Ganga Gawde went to the polling booth in Surla without any walking aid and confidently cast her vote, despite being at the ripe age of 101 years. Many voters in the polling booth admired her resolve to take part in panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, there was a huge voter turnout in elections to 116 wards across 17 panchayats in Bicholim taluka. As many as 397 candidates are in the fray and nine candidates have been elected unopposed.
Election Officers Laxmikant Kuttikar and Apoorva Karpe informed that the process was completed in a very peaceful atmosphere.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his wife Sulakshana Sawant voted at the polling station in Kothambi-Pale, while Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye cast his vote in Menkurem and Mayem MLA Premendra Shet also exercised his franchise.
Dr Shetye appealed to all winning candidates to move above political affiliations and contribute towards the development of their panchayats.
Voter turnout in various panchayats were Advalpal (91.40%), Amona (92.82%), Kudne (90.67%), Karapur (84.73%), Latambarcem (91.42%), Mayem (88.95%), Menkure (90.23%), Mulgaon (88.46%), Narvem (90.33%), Navelim (93.33%), Maulinguem (89.69%), Pale (89.91%), Pilgaon (88.51%), Sal (89.37%), Shirgaon (85.86%), Surla (90.69%) and Velguem (89.27%).
