MAPUSA
A total of nine candidates, including the daughter of a former Verla-Canca sarpanch, have filed nominations for the by-elections scheduled in three panchayats in Bardez.
By-elections are scheduled in one ward each in Bastora, Verla-Canca and Oxel panchayats.
Four candidates “ Nicole Marques, daughter of ex-sarpanch late Milton Marques, Alton D’Souza, Zacharias Mendes and former sarpanch Mohan Dabhale “ have filed nominations for by-election in Ward 6 in Verla-Canca panchayat.
Two candidates, Pravin Kocharekar and former sarpanch Rama Parab, have filed nominations for the by-election in Ward 7 in Oxel village panchayat.
Three candidates, Megha Govekar, Sonia Salgaonkar and Reema Morajkar, have filed nominations for the by-election in Ward 4 in Bastora panchayat.
The scrutiny of the nominations will be held on Friday (March 5) and withdrawal if any, on Saturday (March 6).
The by-election for the three wards will be held on March 20.
A 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 was necessitated after the panchayat member Manisha Naik was elected as Zilla Panchayat member in December last year.
In all, 317 voters are eligible to cast their vote in Oxel panchayat, 644 in Verla-Canca and 510 in Bastora panchayat.
Voting will be held in a single booth in all the three panchayats “ government primary school at Chopdem, Oxel-Siolim, Sacred Heart High School at Verla and government primary school at Boa Vista, Bastora.
Lone candidate in the race at Chicalim
VASCO: The Chicalim panchayat is officially conducting a by-election in Ward 2 on March 20, but voters in the ward may not need to exercise their franchise at all as the lone candidate is set to get elected unopposed.
According to sources in the Mormugao Dy Collector office, Stefanie Lourencinho Lucas has been the only candidate to file a nomination in Ward 2. If her nomination is cleared after scrutiny, Lucas will be elected unopposed as panch from Ward 2 in Chicalim Panchayat.
Chicalim Panchayat Sarpanch Seby Pereira had stated that Ward 2 had no panch member since the last few months.
"Ward 2 panch member Anna Marie Azavedo had gone on a leave because she went to the United Kingdom and it has been over six months since she has not returned. She later sent us a message that she cannot come back and also sent us her resignation letter,” Pereira had said.
