Panaji, Apr 23 (IANS): Amid a severe spike in Covid-19 cases in the state, voting is underway for elections to five municipal councils in Goa.

According to the State Election Commission, 1.85 lakh voters are eligible to cast a ballot for elections to five municipal councils in Mapusa, Margao, Quepem, Sanguem and Mormugao towns.

Elections to six other municipal councils and one municipal corporation were conducted on March 20. The second phase of municipal polls were necessitated after the Bombay High Court, last month, faulted the state government and the State Election Commission for erroneous procedures adopted while reserving municipal constituencies for women, ST, SC and OBCs.

Counting for the votes polled during the April 23 municipal polls will be taken up on April 26.

The elections are being held two days after a night curfew was imposed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, in wake of a steep spike in Covid-19 cases in the state. Class X and XII exams have also been postponed by the state Education board in wake of the rise in Covid-19 cases.

The state has reported 1,410 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, during which 21 persons have died following a Covid-19 infection. The state currently has a positivity rate of 36.09 per cent. So far, 10,228 persons have tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic broke out.