Polling was underway for 186 panchayat bodies in Goa today. (Representational)
As much as 78.70 per cent voter turn-out was recorded in elections to 186 village panchayats in Goa on Wednesday, an official said.
A total of 5,038 candidates were in the fray in 1,464 wards. The elections were not fought on party symbols.
A total of 6,26,496 voters exercised their franchise, said the senior official of the state election commission.
North Goa district recorded 81.45 per cent polling while South Goa district recorded 76.13 per cent polling.
Sattari taluka in North Goa recorded the highest 89.30 per cent voting.
Navelim village panchayat in Bicholim taluka recorded highest 93.33 percent voting while Sarzora village panchayat in South Goa recorded lowest 60 per cent voting.
The election in one of the wards in the Calangute panchayat in North Goa was postponed to Thursday after a candidate complained about a mismatch between his name and the symbol allotted to him, the poll official said.
Election will be held there from 8 am till 5 pm on Thursday.
No untoward incident was reported during polling, the official said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was among the early voters. He cast his vote in Pale-Kothambi village.
Union minister Shripad Naik voted in the Old Goa village panchayat.
Political parties should stay away from panchayat politics, Naik told reporters.
As many as 64 candidates have already been elected unopposed -- 41 in North Goa and 23 in South Goa.
North Goa district has 97 panchayats with 2,667 candidates in the fray, while 2,371 candidates contested for 89 panchayats in South Goa.
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