VALPOI
Elections to nine of the 10 wards at the Valpoi Municipal Council (VMC) took place peacefully on Saturday, with a large turnout (85.5) taking part in the elections.
While 23 candidates are contesting the nine wards, Nirmala Sakhalkar has been declared unopposed in Ward 9, which was reserved for OBC women.
Speaking to reporters, Returning Officer Rajesh Azgaonkar said the voter turnout in elections at the nine wards were Ward 1 (91.78%), Ward 2 (89.30%), Ward 3 (81.07%), Ward 4 (89.46%), Ward 5 (87.32%), Ward 6 (80.06%), Ward 7 (79.94%), Ward 9 (86.69%) and Ward 10 (83.18%).
The candidates were upbeat about the high voter turnout and expressed confidence of their victory.
Among those who spoke to the media and claimed that they would be successful in the polls included Anil Katkar (Ward 1), Ramdas Shirodkar (Ward 2), Umesh Gulelkar and Vinod Haldankar (Ward 3), Idrus Shaikh (Ward 5) and Sharafat Khan (Ward 6). A stiff fight is expected to take place between outgoing Councillor Sahazin Shaikh and Shweta Kanekar in Ward 10.
Azgaonkar said counting of votes will take place at the Forest Training School hall on Monday.
