NT Reporter Panaji
Grassroots democracy will be in a celebrative mood in Goa on Saturday as elections to both zilla panchayats will be held, where 8,69,356 voters are eligible to vote to decide the fate of 226 candidates in 50 seats.
The State Election Commission has set up 1,284 polling booths across the state for the polling for the district-level local bodies. A total of 658 polling stations have been established in North Goa, while South Goa will have 626 polling stations.
Voting will be held from 8 am to 5 pm, and votes will be counted on December 22. Electors will exercise their franchise on ballot papers.
SEC said that 4,40,199 electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the ZP polls in North Goa – 2,13,704 are male, 2,26,492 are female, and three are other voters.
In South Goa, there are 4,29,157 voters eligible to vote – 2,06,902 male, 2,22,253 female and two are other voters. Magisterial arrangements have been made to maintain law and order on the polling day.
Nineteen sub-divisional magistrates and 25 sub-divisional magistrates for North Goa and South Goa respectively have been appointed along with executive magistrates.
As many as 4,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order during the polling.
General observers have also been appointed for all the 50 ZP constituencies.
Campaigning for the elections ended on Thursday on a peaceful note in both districts. Political parties extensively canvassed for their candidates over the last eight days.
All sitting MLAs have taken the polls seriously as they want to secure their assembly constituencies.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Opposition Congress and the Goa Forward Party are fighting the polls in alliance.
On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Revolutionary Goan Party are contesting independently.
Besides them, there are several Independent candidates, who are trying their luck in the polls.
