Eleven candidates in fray for Goa Assembly bypolls

A total of eleven candidates have filed nominations for August 23 Assembly by-elections in Panaji and Valpoi constituencies in Goa.
Today was the last day of filing nominations.
In Panaji, six candidates including Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (BJP), Girish Chodankar (Congress) and Anand Shirodkar (Goa Suraksha Manch) are in the fray.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane (BJP), Roy Ravi Naik (Congress) and three others are contesting from Valpoi seat.
Scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 7 while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is August 9.
The office of Goa Chief Electoral Officer said that Electronic Voting Machines with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices would be used in the election.

There are 22,203 registered voters in Panjim and 28,829 in Valpoi.
The by-elections were necessitated after Rane, who was with the Congress, resigned as Valpoi MLA to join the BJP, while Siddharth Kuncalienkar resigned to make way for Parrikar who returned as chief minister after a stint in the Centre.