the goan I network
PANAJI
A seat in the 25-member Zilla Panchayat body in each of the two North and South Districts of Goa may not entail much power or prestige but the March 22 polls has attracted a decent average of 4-per-seat contestants who have jumped in the fray, perhaps owing to the rural political slugfest between local satraps or political parties.
In fact, one contestant belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has also gone on to win even before the first vote was cast as she remained the sole candidate in the fray after scrutiny on Friday.
The State Election Commission (SEC) said, after Friday’s scrutiny of nominations conducted by returning officers across the State, the papers of 236 candidates -- 119 in the North and 117 in the South -- have been found to be in order and valid.
As many of 126 of these candidates are sponsored on their official election symbol by political parties including the BJP, Congress, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
When the time for filing nominations had ended at 1.00 pm on Wednesday, returning officers had received some 345 applications from aspiring candidates,
The ZP election on March 22 is the only one other than the general Assembly election in Goa which is fought on party lines.
According to the SEC, the break up of candidates sponsored by political parties is: BJP (42), Congress (38), MGP (18), AAP (21), NCP (6), RSP (1). The balance 110 are independents, several of who could possibly withdraw from the fray on Saturday, the time in the election schedule earmarked for the purpose.
