MAPUSA
Despite the Covid scare and the rising mercury, a large number of people exercised their franchise for the by-elections in the three panchayats in Bardez.
The average voting was over 85 per cent in the three wards of the three panchayats where the by-polls were held.
The highest turnout was in Ward 7 in Oxel with 94.64% while the lowest was in Ward 6 of Verla-Canca at 81.21%. Ward 4 in Bastora clocked 86.47 percent voting percentage.
The fate of eight candidates including two former sarpanchas and a daughter of a former sarpanch is sealed and will be revealed only on Monday (March22) when the counting will be taken up.
“The entire voting exercise was peaceful and went about smoothly as a large number of people came out to cast their votes in all the three wards,” said Rajaram Parab, Returning Officer for the by-elections in Bardez.
The by-election was necessitated in Ward 6 of the Verla-Canca panchayat after former sarpanch, late Milton Marques passed away in December last year.
Similarly, by-polls had to be held in Ward 7 of the Oxel panchayat due to death of the incumbent panchayat member.
The by-election for Ward 4 of Bastora panchayat had to be held after the panchayat member Manisha Naik was elected as Zilla Panchayat member in December last year.
