PANAJI
The deadline for filing nominations for the December 20 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections ended on Tuesday with a total of 327 candidates entering the fray across Goa.
According to sources in the Goa State Election Commission (GSEC), 159 nominations were filed in North Goa and 168 in South Goa for the 50 ZP constituencies -- 25 in each district.
The elections will be held simultaneously across the state later this month.
Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out by the respective returning officers on December 10. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until December 11, after which the final list of contestants will be published the same day.
Officials said the filing of 327 nominations reflects strong interest in the polls, which will determine representation in Goa’s two district panchayats. The elections are expected to set the tone for future political alignments in the State, especially ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Political parties including the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress-Goa Forward Party alliance and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) have fielded candidates across constituencies, while independents are also expected to play a decisive role in some seats.
With the nomination process now complete, attention shifts to scrutiny and withdrawals, which will finalize the electoral battle lines on Thursday.
