MARGAO
The 33 village panchayats spread across Salcete taluka registered around 68.33 poll percentage in the elections held on Wednesday, sealing the fate of the 863 candidates in the fray.
Polling in all the 33 village panchayats was described as peaceful by the district police chief, SP Abhishek Dhania, who took a round of the district to monitor the situation.
Returning Officer Laxmikhant Desai informed that the 33 village panchayats in Salcete taluka recorded an overall poll percentage of 68.33 per cent. He said a little over a lakh voters have cast their vote in Wednesday’s polls. Women outnumbered men at the polling booths as evident by the fact that around 56,316 women as against 43,891 men turned up at the polling booths across the villages.
The Returning Officer pointed out that polling was by and large peaceful without any major incident.
A glance at the statistics dished out by the Returning Officers revealed that different panchayats recorded different poll percentages. Ambelim panchayat (63.76), Aquem-Baixo (62.53), Assolna (63.92), Betalbatim (69.70), Camurlim (67.45), Benaulim (65.22), Carmona (64.92), Cavelossim (76.63), Chandor (66.37), Chinchinim (64.70), Colva (70.60), Curtorim (64.95), Davorlim (72.24), Dramapur-Sirlim (66.62), Guirdolim (65.94), Loutolim (70.38), Macazana (63.41), Majorda (66.51), Nagoa (72.19), Navelim (62.68), Nuvem (72.77), Orlim (70.57), Paroda (75.72), Rachol (70.48), Raia (69.70), Rumdamol (74.14), Sao Jose de Areal (72.14), Sarzora (60.98), Seraulim (72.59), Telaulim (64.09), Varca (70.42), Velim (65.97) and Verna (74.13).
Polling started on a moderate basis in most of the polling booths in the morning, before polling gained momentum around noon. Large queue of voters were seen at some of the polling booths at Guirdolim, Housing Board, Nuvem, with enthusiastic voters anxiously waiting for their turn to cast their vote.
Over 50% recorded in all 270 wards
MARGAO: Almost all the 270 wards of the 33 village Panchayats in Salete taluka recorded a poll percentage above 50 per cent, with the overall poll percentage varying from 50’s to the 80’s.
Ward No. VI of the Aquem-Baixo village panchayat, however, has turned out to be an exception. In fact, the polling booth set up at the government primary school (middle wing) Ghantamorod has recorded a poll percentage of just 33.05 per cent.
While the remaining eight wards of Aquem Baixo panchayat have all recorded over 50 per cent polling, Ward No. VI is an exception. Of the total 596 voters in the ward, only 197 voters, including 109 females and 88 males, have cast their vote, indicating that an overwhelming majority of 399 voters have abstained from voting.
A total of three candidates are in the fray for the OBC reserve Ward No. VI, including Floriano Fernandes, Kapil Anand Shirodkar and Pradeep Verlekar.
9 wards in 9 p’yats record over 80%
MARGAO: A total of nine wards in nine panchayats recorded a poll percentage of 80 per cent and above in the polls.
Ward No. I of Loutolim village panchayat recorded the highest poll percentage of 86.42 per cent, followed by Ward No. VIII of Nuvem panchayat with 84.27 per cent.
A glance at the poll statistics reveal that other panchayat wards which have recorded a poll percentage of 80 per cent and above include Ward No. IX of Verna (81.23 per cent), Ward No. VII of Seraulim (80.39) per cent, Ward No. II of Cavelossim (80 per cent), Ward No. III of Cavelossim (81.92 per cent), Ward No. IX of Nuvem (81.23 per cent), Ward No. VII of Paroda (80.41 per cent) and Ward No. II of Sao Jose de Areal (81.29 per cent).
