Goa poll trends: BJP closing in on half-way mark, CM Pramod Sawant now in lead

Panaji (Goa) [India], March 10 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa is inching closer to the half-way mark as early trends of the counting of votes showed the party leading on 18 Assembly seats.
The Election Commission of India’s data at 10.30 am showed the BJP leading on 18 Assembly seats out of the total 40 seats in the state.
While the BJP is leading on 18 seat, Congress was ahead on 12 constituencies. The incumbent Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is leading by over 300 votes so far in Sanquelim Assembly seat, official data at 10:30 AM said. The majority mark in the state is 21 Assembly seats.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party is leading on five seats, ECI data showed while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also leading on one seat as well.
In terms of vote share, BJP is leading thereby standing at 33.74 per cent followed by Congres with a 23.77 per cent vote share. Goa Forward Party is leading on one seat.
Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar is trailing by 1,400 votes to Congress’ Altone d’ Costa from Quepem constituency.
Former CM and Congress legislative party leader Digambar Kamat, a six-time MLA from Margao, is leading against the BJP’s Manohar Azgaonkar. Congress’ ally, Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai is leading in his stronghold in the Fatorda constituency.
On Panaji Assembly seat, BJP’s Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate is leading against independent candidate Utpal Parrikar, son of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Congress candidate Michael Lobo, former BJP Minister, has secured a comfortable lead in his bastion Calangute constituency while BJP’s Rohan Khaunte is leading in the Porvorim seat.
Amid predictions of a hung Assembly by the pollsters, leaders of BJP and Congress in Goa would be keeping a close watch on the popular verdict to assess their chances of forming government in the state.
Congress, which is also hopeful of forming the government, has asked its candidates to stay at a resort to prevent any attempt at “poaching”. The party’s leaders in Goa are learnt to be in touch with state leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) “to prevent the BJP from returning to power” in the state.
The BJP fought the elections on all 40 seats in the state while the Goa Forward Party (GFP) entered into a pre-poll alliance with Congress. The TMC allied with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for the polls. (ANI)