Representative image | Photo credit: PTI
Panaji: The results of the Goa Zilla Panchayat elections were announced on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the winner with 32 seats. Congress performed very poorly and managed to get just five sears on its kitty. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) won three seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Aam Aadmi Party won one each. The independents registered the victory over seven seats
The Zilla Panchayat election was held in 48 constituencies in Goa on Saturday. The state registered a low voter turnout of 56.82 percent at the polls. There were 58.43 percent of voters in the North Goa district and 55 percent in the South Goa district, according to the Goa State Election Commission (SEC).
There are a total of 50 zilla panchayat seats in Goa, but only 48 went to the polls. Voting in the Navelim seat in South Goa was canceled due to the death of a candidate while, in Sancoale, the BJP candidate won unopposed.
Goa Zilla Panchayat Election Results:
- BJP’s Shankar Anant Chodankar wins Maem
- BJP candidates Guirish Pundolica Uscoikar and Shankar Chodankar win the Chimbel and Mayem seats respectively.
- The PCN candidate, Vania Baptista, wins the Colva seat.
- Sanjana Sanjay Velip from BJP wins from Guirdolim
- Seats won in ZP polls until 1 pm: BJP won 13 seats, Congress 2, Independent 5 and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) 1.
- BJP’s Manisha Mahesh Naik beats Aldona from North Goa and BJP candidate Shanu Shankalu Velip wins a seat in Cola
- BJP candidate Shramesh Sukdu Bhosle wins from Betqui-Candola, while BJP candidate Suvarna Tendulkar wins Sanvordem seat
- Diksha Dilip Kanolkar, BJP candidate, wins a seat in Sirsai and Mahesh Anant Sawant, BJP candidate, wins Karapur-Sarvan
- Assuciana Rodrigues, candidate for Congress, wins Nuvem’s seat
- Anjali Gajanan Naik from BJP wins from Taleigao
- Independent candidate Antonio Vas elected from Cortalim
- BJP Candidates Ulhas Yeshwant Tuenkar Wins from Davorlim and Umakant Gawde from Usgao-Ganje
- Shidharth Shriniwas G Dessai, BJP candidate, wins at Xeldem
- Ranganath Kalshavkar, independent candidate wins from Arambol
- Independent candidate Kavita Kiran Kandolkar wins Colvale seat
- BJP candidate Sanisha Toraskar wins at Siolim
- Brilliant Emilda de Oliveira, candidate for Congress, wins from Santa Cruz
- Domnic Minguel Gaonkar, Independent candidate, wins from Raia
- Independent candidate Pradip Shantaram Revodkar wins from Latambarcem in the Bicholim Assembly constituency.
- Sagun Sitaram Vadkar, BJP candidate, wins from Honda
- BJP’s Devayani Devidas Gawas wins Querim seat
More than 4 lakh of voters exercised their right to vote
More than four lakh voters, including 2,27,916 men and 2,21,972 women, exercised their right to vote. Almost 8 lakh people (85,222 men and 4,06,592 women) were eligible to vote.
The Zilla Panchayat polls were the first major elections in the coastal state since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March this year.
The state had allowed COVID-19 positive individuals to vote in the last hour of voting while wearing full personal protective equipment.
There are a total of 50 zilla panchayat seats in Goa, but only 48 went to the polls. Voting in the Navelim seat in South Goa was canceled due to the death of a candidate while, in Sancoale, the BJP candidate won unopposed.
BJP, Congress, key AAP contenders
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had put forward 43 candidates in the 48 seats, while its main rival, Congress, nominated candidates for 38 seats.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) had submitted candidates for 17 seats each. There were also 79 independent candidates in the fray.
The election was scheduled for March 22 and political parties had already campaigned for the polls, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
