Goa: Panaji civic body, 11 Municipal Council polls on March 20

Panaji: Elections to 11 Municipal Councils and the Panaji Municipal Corporation in Goa will be held on March 20, the State Election Commission said on February 22.

All COVID-19 prevention guidelines will have to be followed during the polls, State Election Commissioner C.R. Garg said in Panaji.

The elections would be conducted for 11 Municipal Councils and the Corporation of the City of Panaji between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., he said.

Those suffering from COVID-19 infection will be allowed to vote between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., he said.

A similar process was followed during the Zilla Panchayat elections held recently in the State, he noted.

Goa has 13 Municipal Councils and a Municipal Corporation.

The model code of conduct has come into force from Feb. 22 in the areas where the polls will be held, Mr. Garg said.

He also said that by-elections to the Zilla Panchayat constituency of Navelim (South Goa), a ward of Sankhalim Municipal Council and 22 wards of different village Panchayats would also be held on March 20.

Detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be issued, which have to be followed by all stakeholders during the elections, he said.

“I appeal to the public to follow all the guidelines so as to avoid any problem as far as COVID-19 is concerned,” he said.

Mr. Garg further said that nominations for the elections would be accepted from February 25 to March 4 and their scrutiny would be conducted on March 6.

Votes will be counted on March 22.

A total of 3,10,995 people are eligible to vote for the elections and bypolls scheduled on March 20, he added.