Ponda: After the declaration of the date for the much awaited Zilla Panchayat (ZP) election, Ponda Taluka has witnessed a sudden rise in election campaigning wherein candidates and various parties have lined up corner meetings with voters.
In Ponda altogether 28 candidates are in the fray for 7 ZP seats consisting of Usgao Ganjem, Betqui-Candola, Curti, Priol, Kavelm, Borim and Shiroda.
It is interesting to note that Congress and AAP has filed their nominations in only two seats respectively, while BJP and MGP has filed their candidates in all seven seats. Rest of the candidates is contesting elections independently.
For Usgao Ganjem seat only two candidates Mukund Gaude (Congress) and Umakant Gawde (BJP) has filed their nominations making it a direct fight between the two. While for the Borim seat seven candidates have filed their nominations. It includes Baburao Salelkar (MGP), Dinesh Borkar (AAP), Dipak Naik Borkar (BJP), Dnyaneshwar Khandeparkar (Independent) Kumud Gaude (Independent), Poonam Samant (Independent) and Vithal Borkar (Independent). For Curti seat three candidates are in the fray, Prachi Naik (Congress), Priya Chari (MGP) and Sanjana Naik (BJP).
For the Veling-Priol seat Damodar Naik (MGP), Samir Naik (Independent), Shailesh Naik (Independent) and Shivram Naik (BJP) have filed their nominations. For the Queula seat Ganapat Naik (MGP), Gurudas Naik (Independent), Jairaj Naik (BJP), Prakash Naik (Independent) and Sudesh Bhingi (Independent) has filed the nominations. For the Shiroda seat Joaquim Gomes (Independent), Manuel Cruz (MGP) Narayan Kamat (BJP) and Richardson Colaco (AAP) have filed their nominations.
