PANAJIA (GOA): A total of 10, 632 voters will exercise their voting right on Saturday to elect panch members in 15 wards of eleven panchayats that were caught in litigation.

The counting of the by-election is scheduled on July 2 in six talukas.

Total 51 candidates are in fray in 15 wards. The woman candidate Leticia Miranda from ward III of Betalbatim panchayat is already elected unopposed.

The panchayat bodies of the 175 village panchayats have already been constituted following the elections held on June 11.

The voting will take place at 17 polling stations from 8.00am to 5.00pm. Nearly 100 polling staff and 200 police personnel will be deployed to man these stations. Only one panchayat- Merces is identified as sensitive.

It may be recalled that the High Court had stayed the elections in these 15 wards, following four separate petitions filed challenging the delimitation and reservation process undertaken by the government.

The eleven panchayats include Bastora (Ward I), Anjuna-Caisua (Ward I), Penha-de-franca (Ward VIII and IX), Curca- Bambolim (Ward I), Merces (Ward VI), Advalpal (Ward V), Betki-Khandola (Ward V and VI), Nuvem (Ward X) four candidates, Betalbatim (Ward V, VII), Chandor (Ward V) and Sancoale (Ward V and VI).

July 1 will be observed as ‘dry day’ in the respective wards, and the dry day for entire panchayat will be onJuly 2. The election code of conduct which is in force for these 11 panchayats would be lifted post counting.

In Bicholim, the counting is scheduled at Mamlatdar office and in Bardez the counting is at three different centres of sports complex. In Peddem and Tiswadi the counting will be held at Pharmacy College, while for Ponda it would be at mamlatdar office. In Salcete the counting will take place at District collectorate building and for Mormugao it is MPT Institute hall.

Team TNV