MARGAO/MAPUSA
The fate of the five candidates in the fray for the Nuvem and Curtorim Zilla Panchayat by-poll will be known on Monday as the office of Returning Officer, Uday Prabhuesai has made elaborate arrangements for counting on votes at the district Collectorate here.
The counting of votes will also decide the fate of the Congress party since the national party is contesting the Zilla Panchayat election on the party banner for the first time. In the 2015 Zilla panchayat election, the Congress did not field candidates on party lines, but had allowed party workers to contest the election as Independents.
Counting of votes will be taken up by the election officials at 8 am. Votes cast for the Nuvem ZP seat will be taken up first, followed by Curtorim.
Returning Officer, Uday Prabhudesai told The Goan on Sunday that counting of votes of both the seats will be taken up on the ground floor of the Collectorate building. "We will take up Nuvem seat first, following by Curtorim. The counting process should be over by noon", Prabhudesai said.
For the Nuvem seat, the by-poll had witnessed a straight fight between Congress nominee Reuben D'Costa and Independent candidate Mario Pereira. While Reuben was a former sarpanch of Nuvem village, Mario is an ex-panch of neighbouring Verna.
As far as the Curtorim ZP seat is concerned, local Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues had all supported party candidate Moreno Rebello in the by-poll. However, a section of Congressmen, including Curtorim Sarpanch Rupesh Naik and others had rallied behind Dionisio Sardinha, who had thrown his hat in the electoral ring as an Independent. Conceissao Dias is the third candidate in the fray for the Curtorim seat.
Meanwhile, the fate of the two candidates in the Calangute Zilla Panchayat by-election will be revealed after ballot boxes will be taken up for counting at Peddem Complex in Mapusa on Monday morning.
The counting will begin at 8 am at the Boxing Hall in Government Sports Complex, Peddem, and the entire process is expected to end within two hours. Calangute Zilla Panchayat comprises villages of Calangute, Candolim and Arpora-Nagao.
"We have set up 10 tables for counting. Since there are 29 polling centres, counting will be taken up in three rounds," said Deputy Collector, Gaurish Sankhwalkar, who is the Returning Officer.
BJP had fielded Dattaprasad Dabholkar as its candidate, while Congress nominated Joy Fernandes as its nominee for the by-polls.
Dattaprasad Dabholkar has the support of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, while Joy Fernandes is backed by former Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira.
The fate of the five candidates in the fray for the Nuvem and Curtorim Zilla Panchayat by-poll will be known on Monday as the office of Returning Officer, Uday Prabhuesai has made elaborate arrangements for counting on votes at the district Collectorate here.
The counting of votes will also decide the fate of the Congress party since the national party is contesting the Zilla Panchayat election on the party banner for the first time. In the 2015 Zilla panchayat election, the Congress did not field candidates on party lines, but had allowed party workers to contest the election as Independents.
Counting of votes will be taken up by the election officials at 8 am. Votes cast for the Nuvem ZP seat will be taken up first, followed by Curtorim.
Returning Officer, Uday Prabhudesai told The Goan on Sunday that counting of votes of both the seats will be taken up on the ground floor of the Collectorate building. "We will take up Nuvem seat first, following by Curtorim. The counting process should be over by noon", Prabhudesai said.
For the Nuvem seat, the by-poll had witnessed a straight fight between Congress nominee Reuben D'Costa and Independent candidate Mario Pereira. While Reuben was a former sarpanch of Nuvem village, Mario is an ex-panch of neighbouring Verna.
As far as the Curtorim ZP seat is concerned, local Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues had all supported party candidate Moreno Rebello in the by-poll. However, a section of Congressmen, including Curtorim Sarpanch Rupesh Naik and others had rallied behind Dionisio Sardinha, who had thrown his hat in the electoral ring as an Independent. Conceissao Dias is the third candidate in the fray for the Curtorim seat.
Meanwhile, the fate of the two candidates in the Calangute Zilla Panchayat by-election will be revealed after ballot boxes will be taken up for counting at Peddem Complex in Mapusa on Monday morning.
The counting will begin at 8 am at the Boxing Hall in Government Sports Complex, Peddem, and the entire process is expected to end within two hours. Calangute Zilla Panchayat comprises villages of Calangute, Candolim and Arpora-Nagao.
"We have set up 10 tables for counting. Since there are 29 polling centres, counting will be taken up in three rounds," said Deputy Collector, Gaurish Sankhwalkar, who is the Returning Officer.
BJP had fielded Dattaprasad Dabholkar as its candidate, while Congress nominated Joy Fernandes as its nominee for the by-polls.
Dattaprasad Dabholkar has the support of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, while Joy Fernandes is backed by former Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira.
