PANAJI/MARGAO
A rise in Covid cases and the heat did not deter voters from turning out in high numbers to exercise their franchise in elections at the six municipal councils in Bicholim, Valpoi, Pernem, Curchorem, Cuncolim and Canacona, which were largely peaceful on Saturday.
The voter turnout (91.02%) was the highest at the Pernem Municipal Council (PMC) elections, followed by Bicholim Municipal Council (87.97%), Canacona Municipal Council (87.07%), Valpoi Municipal Council (85.5%), Curchorem-Cacora (80.24%) and Cuncolim council (76.35 per cent).
The high turnout (91%) in elections to 10 wards at the Pernem Municipal Council has left many in Pernem town speculating over the outcome of the elections, when counting takes place on Monday.
Voting was by and large peaceful in elections to 12 wards of Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) with a high voter turnout (87.07%) on Saturday, barring one incident when a Ward 4 candidate sustained leg injuries after being hit by a moving car driven by a voter.
A police case was registered after Dhiraj alias Pandurang Naikgaunkar, a candidate at Mastimoll Ward (4), was struck by a moving car driven by a voter. Naikgaunkar sustained a leg injury and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. When contacted, Canacona police informed a case under the Motor Vehicles Act has been registered.
A high voter turnout was also witnessed at the Valpoi Municipal Council (VMC) elections, with 85.50% turning up to cast their ballots in nine of the 10 wards, after one candidate Nirmala Sakhalkar was elected unopposed from Ward 9.
The turnout was even higher (87.97%) in elections for the 14 wards at the Bicholim Municipal Council (BMC), with no untoward incident reported in the municipality.
Elections in the 15 wards at the Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council also registered a high turnout of 80.24%.
Elaborate arrangements were made by elections authorities, which included police presence at all polling booths and enforcement of Covid-related protocols.
In Cuncolim, barring minor incidents of assembly of persons close to the polling booths in the morning, elections for the 14-municipal wards of Cuncolim Municipal Council passed off peacefully without any incident.
