69 candidates in fray, 69% turnout: Counting today to find 30 winners of CCP polls

Panaji: The counting of votes for the Corporation of the City of Panaji will commence at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, on Friday at 8am, and voters will know who will become the next mayor of the state’s lone municipal corporation by afternoon.

Two rounds in each ward will be taken up simultaneously to complete the counting of votes for 30 wards of the CCP.

A total of 69 candidates are in the fray for the CCP elections, and a total turnout of 69% was recorded on Wednesday. Since the corporation was formed, Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate has never lost an election, and it would be interesting to see the outcome of the CCP elections, which saw a low turnout.

Last time, Monserrate’s panel secured a win in 25 wards of the CCP, and five wards were won by the opponents.

The results on Friday will make it clear whether Monserrate maintains his influence over the corporation, or whether former defence minister and ex-CM Manohar Parrikar’s son, Utpal, leading the ‘Ami Panjekar’ panel, makes gains in the city.

In case the united opposition secures a sizeable number of seats, the opposition will have to redraw its strategy to win the assembly elections, which is scheduled next year. A united opposition can give a tough fight to BJP, a political observer said.

Rohit Monserrate is the first person to complete a five-year term in office as Panaji mayor, and he is likely to continue as mayor in case Monserrate’s panel gets a majority. Babush has never lost the CCP elections since it was formed. Monserrate set a target to win all 30 wards of the CCP.

Babush said that the outcome of the polls will be known on the counting day, while Utpal said that the turnout in the CCP polls reflected that the people were out for a change.