Parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have campaigned aggressively in the state this time. While the Congress had a pre-poll alliance with the Goa Forward Party (GFP), Mamata Banerjee’s TMC joined hands with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also joined hands in Goa, while Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP and the BJP are fighting it alone for now. However, the BJP said that it was in talks to form an alliance with MGP.
The prominent candidates in the elections include Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of the (BJP), Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat (Congress), Ravi Naik (BJP), Laxmikant Parsekar (independent), former CMs Churchill Alemao (TMC), late CM Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar, former Deputy CMs Vijai Sardesai (GFP) and Sudin Dhavalikar (MGP), and AAP's CM face Amit Paleker.
Some newly-elected BJP MLAs in Goa are against accepting the support of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), sources said on Friday.
State BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade said the decision will be taken by the party high command and he would not like to react to the MGP's offer to support the party to form the next government.
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BJP sources said some MLAs including Ponda legislator Ravi Naik, Priol MLA Govind Gaude and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho expressed strong objections to including the MGP in the government.
The MGP contested the recently-held Assembly elections in alliance with the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). But after the results were declared on Thursday and it became clear that the BJP would be only one seat short of the majority mark, the MGP offered support to the saffron party. (PTI)
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday greeted the outgoing chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand for the BJP's victory in the four states and said the win came due to the double engine growth witnessed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sonowal greeted the chief ministers -- Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh) Pramod Sawant (Goa), N Biren Singh (Manipur) and Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand) -- through separate telephonic conversations.
"Spoke to Uttar Pradesh CM Shri @myogiadityanath ji over phone & congratulated him on the historic victory by @BJP4UP. The sacred land of Prabhu Shri Ram is moving fast on the Double Engine of growth under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Conveyed my best wishes to him," he tweeted.
Sonowal said the coastal state of Goa is India's pride and is rapidly growing under the guidance of the prime minister.
"Had a telephonic conversation with Goa CM Shri @DrPramodPSawant ji and congratulated him on the impressive win by @BJP4Goa. Wished him the best for the future," he said. (PTI)
A blame game erupted in the Congress on Friday over its Assembly polls debacle even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pushed for an opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a day after the saffron party stormed back to power in Uttar Pradesh and retained three other states.
Fresh from the poll victories that consolidated the BJP's position, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Ahmedabad in his home state as his open car, decorated with floral garlands, traversed the 10-km distance from the airport to Kamalam, the state BJP headquarters. Assembly polls are due to be held in Gujarat towards the end of this year.
Modi attributed the BJP's impressive performance in the four states to people voting for development, which he stressed, should be the top priority of elected representatives in a democracy. He said voters in the four states have now realised that governments are elected for doing development.
The prime minister was addressing over one lakh representatives from the three tiers of the Panchayati Raj institutions in the state at a 'Panchayat Mahasammelan' in Ahmedabad. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday termed the assembly poll results unfortunate, but said the party will win back the confidence of people soon.
The Congress received a drubbing in assembly elections in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur and drew a blank, losing Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party.
"In my political career spanning 50 years, I have seen many highs and lows of the Congress party. It is unfortunate to see the assembly results, but one should remember that we are the only ones who can fight fascist forces. We will regain the confidence of the people soon," Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said on Twitter. (PTI)
A day after the results of Assembly elections in five states were announced, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday evening met his ally and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray here.
The meeting, which came against the backdrop of the BJP's stellar performance in Uttar Pradesh and victories in Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, took place at `Varsha', the official residence of the chief minister. The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party had contested the Goa assembly polls in alliance but could not win a single seat.
The Sena also drew a blank in Uttar Pradesh where it had fielded candidates. The Thackeray-Pawar meeting also came after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra was trying to frame up BJP leaders in false cases, and submitted a video purportedly showing a public prosecutor being party to one such plan. (PTI)
After losing in the Goa Assembly elections 2022, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said, "TMC got six per cent votes in Goa within three months of the party's launch there. It is enough."
Capt Venzy Viegas, a merchant navy officer-turned-politician, who defeated veteran politician and former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao in this year's assembly polls in the coastal state, is not the only one who has emerged as a giant killer in the coastal state. Like him, several new entrants and greenhorns made a number of established politicians bite the dust in Goa, where the BJP won 20 out of 40 seats, emerging as the single largest party.
Alemao, who was considered as the "uncrowned king" of Benaulim assembly segment, had contested the February 14 election on Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket. But Capt Viegas, who was fielded by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), defeated him with a margin of 1,271 votes.
"My victory was expected as people of my constituency stood with my party and its policies. Anti-corruption was the major plank on which we fought," Viegas had said after the results on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, an influential leader, faced defeat at the hands of businessman-turned-politician Altone D'Costa in Quepem constituency.
D'Costa, who contested as a Congress candidate, defeated Kavlekar with a big margin of 3,601 votes. Kavlekar had quit the Congress in 2019 along with nine other party MLAs, and joined the ruling BJP. (PTI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday termed the BJP's victory in assembly elections in four states as “not a true reflection of people's mandate” and accused the saffron camp of looting votes by using the election machinery.
Reiterating her call for an opposition alliance to defeat the BJP, Banerjee said there is no use of “sitting" idle and waiting for the Congress.
"The party (BJP) should not raise its voice much just because they have won in a few states. This victory is not a true reflection of the people's mandate. This verdict is because of the blatant use of the election machinery to loot votes.
“Akhilesh Yadav (of the Samajwadi Party) has lost not because of people's mandate but due to loot of votes," Banerjee said. She was speaking at a press conference after the West Bengal government presented the state budget for 2022-23 fiscal in the assembly. (PTI)
What does the BJP’s win in Uttar Pradesh signify? Will the AAP now qualify as a national party after winning in Punjab? How will the results impact Goa?
The results of the Assembly election in five states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand — have thrown open the door for bigger questions on governance, election strategies and what lies ahead for the people and the parties they have elected. (Read more)
A day after the BJP recorded spectacular victories in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand, poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Friday asserted that the election results in these states will not have any impact in the next Lok Sabha elections as “battle for India would be fought and decided in 2024 & not in any state elections.”
Kishor’s remark came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elated over the BJP’s victories, said he hoped “political pundits, who did not think much of the party’s 2019 (Lok Sabha) win saying it had already been decided by the 2017 UP results, will now have the courage to say that the 2022 (UP) results have decided the 2024 (Lok Sabha) results.” (Read more)
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after winning the state Assembly Elections said, 'Today was the last cabinet meeting of the tenure. We thanked everyone. We also took a resolution to dissolve the assembly from March 14 as tenure is ending.'
He also said that the swearing-in ceremony of new government will be decided by the central observer.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, whose party BJP has won 20 out of 40 seats in the state assembly polls, on Friday held a meeting of his cabinet, during which it was decided to recommend dissolution of the House on March 14. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told this to reporters after the cabinet meeting.
"We met to thank the people for a resounding victory of the party. During the meeting, a resolution was moved to thank the people of the state," he said. "The meeting chaired by CM Sawant decided to recommend to the state governor dissolution of the House on Monday," Rane added.
The tenure of the present assembly is scheduled to end on 15 March. (PTI)
The vote share of the Congress, which won 11 assembly seats in Goa this time, plunged by nearly five per cent as compared to what it was in the previous election, while the BJP, which retained power in the coastal state, saw a marginal rise in it, the data shared by the Election Commission shows.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), witnessed a slight increase in its vote share in the state, while the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a regional party that declared support to the BJP to form the next government in the state after the results, saw its vote share dip by over three per cent.
As per the data, the Congress's vote share slipped down from 28.4 per cent in 2017 to 23.5 per cent, but for the BJP, it went up from 32.5 per cent to 33.3 per cent.
As per the poll results declared on Thursday, the BJP, which had fielded candidates from all 40 assembly constituencies in Goa, won 20 seats. The Congress had contested 37 seats, leaving three others to its alliance partner, Goa Forward Party (GFP), which won one.
The vote share of the MGP dipped from 11.3 per cent in 2017 to 7.6 per cent. The Deepak Dhavalikar-led party had contested 13 seats, where it fought in alliance with the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC failed to win any seat.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which had entered the electoral fray in Goa with all its might, registered a slight gain in the vote share - from 6.3 per cent in 2017 to 6.8 per cent this time. ---PTI
MONTHS AHEAD of elections, the Revolutionary Goans (RG), a political outfit led by Tukaram alias Manoj Parad, waited to be registered as a political party. But long before that, youths clad in black walked the streets of Goa, accosted “migrants” engaged in “illegal activities”, and posted vidoes on social media in which its members took them to task. Read more
Despite a high-decibel campaign, a pre-poll alliance and the might of poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s iPAC, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was completely rejected by the Goan voter. It ended with no seats in the 40-member Assembly and a vote share of 5.21 percent.
Contesting from TMC, former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao, a five-time MLA who has won from Benaulim seat on different party tickets, lost to Aam Aadmi Party debutant Venzy Viegas. Read more
BJP choices: The BJP’s emphasis on winnability of candidates seems to have worked. It faced criticism for giving tickets to two couples, choosing defectors over its loyal cadre, but emerged as the single largest party.
Divided opposition: The opposition was more of a crowd and less of a group, which reflects in the results. Congress leaders acknowledged that opposition votes were split among parties including the Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, Revolutionary Goans and independents. Read more
Months ahead of elections, the Revolutionary Goans (RG), a political outfit led by Tukaram alias Manoj Parad, waited to be registered as a political party. But long before that, youths clad in black walked the streets of Goa, accosted “migrants” engaged in “illegal activities”, and posted vidoes on social media in which its members took them to task.
The RG was later registered as a party and assigned the football symbol. It contested 38 seats, defeated the BJP in St Andre by 76 votes, and is now set to send its first MLA to the Goa Assembly.
A party of young Goans, aged between 25 and 35 years, mostly from the state’s Bahujan Samaj, the RG sprang a surprise, not just because it won a seat, but also because it garnered over 3,000 votes in some other constituencies too. Its candidates cut into the votes of not just the BJP, but also the Congress and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). Read Mayura Janwalkar's report
Despite a high-decibel campaign, a pre-poll alliance and the might of poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s iPAC, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was completely rejected by the Goan voter. It ended with no seats in the 40-member Assembly and a vote share of 5.21 per cent.
Contesting from TMC, former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao, a five-time MLA who has won from Benaulim seat on different party tickets, lost to AAP debutant Venzy Viegas. In neighboring Navelim, also in Salcete taluka, where BJP has often found it hard to win, the ruling party had an advantage after votes were split between Alemao’s daughter, Valanka, who contested from the constituency on a TMC ticket, the Congress and AAP, who all fielded “winnable” candidates.
The TMC arrived in Goa with much pomp and fare towards the end of September last year. That its entry was late for a serious contender was something the party denied consistently. While Banerjee made two trips to the state before the elections, she did not come to the state to campaign for the party’s candidates. Read Mayura Janwalkar's report
The BJP is set to form the government in Goa for the third consecutive time, winning 20 of the total 40 seats in the Assembly on Thursday. With its former ally, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (two seats), which was in a pre-poll alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), extending support to the BJP after the results were announced, and three Independent candidates also backing it, the BJP was well over the halfway mark.
The TMC drew a blank, while the AAP made an entry into the Goa Assembly with two seats. The youth-driven Revolutionary Goans also won a seat. The Congress won 11 seats, while ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) got just one seat.
While the BJP had won 13 seats in 2017, its strength in the House went up to 27 after the defections in 2019. The Congress had won 17, but its numbers were down to 5 in the outgoing House. “We had said this before and we are saying this again, that even if we get full majority, we will take some people with us. The MGP has given us a letter of support. Two of their MLAs and three Independents will be with us. Some others may also join us, the BJP will form the government with a comfortable majority,” said the party’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis. Read Mayura Janwalkar's report
Comfortably placed to retain power in Goa, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said it will take a decision on staking claim to form the next government in the state after a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Friday. (PTI)
Even as the Goa BJP claimed that it has received letters of support from three Independents and also the MGP, BJP Goa Desk in-charge CT Ravi said that though the party has 25 seats along with allies, the number may rise when a floor test is held in the Aseembly.
Out of 19 seats in North Goa, 10 seats have been won by candidates of the BJP, 6 seats have been won by the Congress and one each by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Revolutionary Goans Party, and an Independent candidate, Ajit Roy, North Goa collector, told ANI.
As Congress was reduced to miniscule margins in the Assembly elections in five states, party leader Shashi Tharoor stressed the need to "reform organisational leadership" in a manner to inspire people. "Change is unavoidable if we need to succeed," he tweeted.
Union minister Amit Shah expressed gratitude towards the people of Goa for 'reposing their faith in the BJP'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address BJP workers from the party's Ashoka Road headquarters at around 7 pm.
Both Deputy Chief Ministers of Goa lost Assembly elections to their nearest Congress rivals though their party crossed the half way mark with 20 seats in their kitty.
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar was defeated by Leader of Opposition and Congress candidate Digambar Kamat by a huge margin of almost 6,000 votes in the Margao Assembly constituency. Ajgaonkar, who had been traditionally contesting from Pernem in North Goa, was this time fielded by the BJP from Margao in South Goa.
The second Deputy Chief Minister in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet, Chandrakant Kavlekar, lost to Congress candidate Altone D'Costa in Quepem. (PTI)
As BJP swept Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, and Punjab secured a sizeable lead during the counting of votes, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he humbly accepts the people's mandate.
He also expressed gratitude to all "Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication".
The new Goa Assembly will have three pairs of husband and wife among its 40 members. Vishwajit Rane, health minister in the outgoing BJP government, and his wife Diviya won comfortably on party tickets from Valpoi and Poriem Assembly seats, respectively.
Congress' Michael Lobo won from his traditional assembly constituency Calangute, while wife Delilah won from Siolim, also on Congress ticket. BJP's Atanasio Monserratte won from Panaji, while his wife Jeniffer won from Taleigao on BJP ticket. (PTI)
As the BJP secured wins in 20 seats, it reached the half-way mark in the 40-member Goa Assembly.
Meanwhile, Congress emerged victorious in nine seats, while the AAP has won in just two seats.
With the incumbent BJP poised to form its government in Goa again after emerging as the single largest party, the 48-year-old party leader, Pramod Sawant, is all set to continue as the Chief Minister. He won from his Sanquelim constituency by a slim margin.
Sawant took over the reins after the demise of Manohar Parrikar in 2019. Often compared with Parrikar, Sawant led the BJP’s charge in the current Goa Assembly polls. This was the first Assembly election that the BJP contested without Parrikar, a party stalwart who was instrumental in its rise in the coastal state. Read more
The Election Commission lifted its earlier ban imposed on victory processions during the counting of votes and declaration of results in the five states where elections were held.
In a statement on Thursday, the poll panel said keeping in mind the current status of COVID-19 in these states, it has "decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting and has withdrawn the blanket ban on victory procession."
On January 8 the EC set the ball rolling for Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur, announcing a schedule spread over seven phases between February 10 and March 7, and concluding with the counting of votes on March 10.
BJP candidate Atanasio Monserrate and his wife Jeniffer Monserrate have won from Panaji and Taleigao constituencies respectively. BJP's Vishwajit Rane and his wife Deviya Vishwajit Rane won from Valpoi and Poriem Assembly constituency.
Congress' Michael Vincent Lobo has won from Calangute seat and his wife Delilah Michael Lobo is leading from the Siolim Assembly constituency.
Congress leader Michael Lobo said the party will accept the people's mandate and work strongly as an Opposition. “We have got 12 seats, BJP has got 18 seats. Congress will have to work hard to win the confidence of people,” he said.
Meanwhile, the TMC, whose alliance is leading in 3 out of 40 seats, said the party “ commits to work harder to earn the trust and love of every Goan. No matter how long it takes, we will be here and we will continue to serve the people of Goa”.
As the BJP secured wins in five seats and leads in 15 seats in Goa, party leader Devendra Fadnavis said that the people have given them "a clear majority".
"We will get 20 seats or even 1-2 seats more. People have shown faith in PM Modi. Independent candidates are coming with us. MGP is also coming with us and taking all together, we will form our government:," Fadnavis said.
As the BJP raced towards a majority in Goa, Indpendent candidates Dr Chandrakant Shetye (Bicholim), Manuel Vaz (Cortalim) and Alexio Reginaldo (Curtorim) extended their support to the saffron party, ANI reported.
The AAP that is set to form the government in Punjab, also made an entry into the Goa Legislative Assembly winning two seats in South Goa. The party had drawn a blank when it contested the 2017 Assembly election in the state but in its second Assembly election, it scored a victory in Velim and Benaulim, where it’s candidate Venzy Viegas unseated former chief minister and political heavyweight Churchill Alemao, who contested on a Trinamool Congress ticket.
Alemao is a five-time MLA who won the 2017 Assembly poll on an NCP ticket and won the Benaulim seat with a victory margin of 5,191 votes. But three times before that he had won from Benaulim on different party tickets – in 1990 from the Goa People’s Party, in 1995 from the United Goans Democratic party and in 1999 from the Congress. He was among the founding members of the two regional parties that are now almost defunct. In 2007, Alemao won the neighbouring seat of Navelim from the Congress. He has also been an MP from South Goa twice and served as the Chief Minister of Goa from March 27, 1990 to April 14, 1990, for just 19 days.
On Thursday, he lost his seat to AAP’s Viegas by 1,271 votes. He bagged 6,411 votes against Alemao who bagged 5,140. In Velim, Silva defeated Congress’s Savio D’Silva by just 169 votes.
The AAP’s other prominent candidates including Mhambre who contested from Mapusa, its chief ministerial candidate Amit Palekar, who contested from St Cruz and lawyer Pratima Countinho, however, lost their seats.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday congratulated AAP candidates Capt. Venzy Viegas and Engr Cruz Silva who won their seats from Benaulim and Velim respectively.
"AAP wins two seats in Goa. Congratulations and best wishes to Capt Venzy and Er Cruz. Its the beginning of honest politics in Goa," he tweeted.
Dr Chandrakant Shetye, an independent candidate from Bicholim constituency declared his support to the BJP in Goa. BJP is leading in Goa with 19 seats, while the Congress is leading in 12 seats.
The Congress’s only remaining MLA of the 17 elected in the last legislative Assembly election, Digambar Kamat – who is set for a big win from Margao – was the party’s frontrunner for the chief minister post. Kamat, who turned 68 on Tuesday, was chief minister of Goa from 2007 to 2012, during the last Congress government in the state before the BJP’s 10-year run until this Assembly election.
The Congress has not declared a chief ministerial candidate in the state but AICC Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had earlier said, “Everyone knows who will be the chief minister if the Congress forms the government.” Senior Congress leaders and former chief ministers Luizinho Faleiro and Ravi Naik quit the Congress ahead of the February 14 polls to join the TMC and the BJP respectively. The Congress’s seniormost legislator and six-time former CM Pratapsingh Rane backed out of this election leaving the party with only Kamat from its senior ranks. Kamat was the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly. Read more
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday registered its first victories in Goa. Capt. Venzy Viegas won from Benaulim and Engr Cruz Silva won from Velim.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that he was confident of forming government in Goa."The credit for this win goes to the party workers," he said.
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BJP candidate Atanasio Monserrate, who won from the Panaji constituency said, "Disappointed as far as results are concerned. BJP cadre didn't work for me but for Opposition candidate. I fought BJP & Congress. It's due to the support of a few workers & supporters that we managed to retain the seat. (ANI)
The BJP is leading in 18 seats, while the Congress is leading in 12. Meanwhile, TMC is leading in four constituencies and AAP in 3.
BJP leaders on Thursday will meet Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai to stake claim for government formation in the state, ANI reported.
Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who resigned from the Congress to join TMC, and ultimately resigned the party to stand as an Independent, is leading in Curtorim in South Goa.
In Panaji, BJP candidate Atanasia Monserrate was leading. Meanwhile, Independent candidate and late former CM Manohar Parikar's son Utpal Parikar accepted defeat and said, "As an Independent candidate it was a good fight, I thank the people. Satisfied with the fight but result is little disappointing."
After trailng in the first few rounds, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is now leading in Sanquelim constituency by 585 seats.
In Goa, here are the trends in prominent constituencies at 10:45 am
The BJP is currently leading in 18 seats and the Congress is leading from 12 seats. Meanwhile, TMC is leading in 5 seats and AAP in one seat.
BJP leader Vishwajit Rane Thursday said that he was confident that the BJP would sweep the Goa elections. 'We will sweep this Goa election. People have rejected scamsters, outsiders. They have voted for a party that works for the people of Goa,' he said.
Party leadership will decide," he says, on being asked if Pramod Sawant will continue as the CM. (ANI)
In Bicholim, an important constituency for the BJP held by legislative assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar, independent candidate Chandrakant Shetye was in the lead with two votes and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s Naresh Sawal was trialing while the incumbent was in the third place.
Goa Congress President Thursday said "We are watching the result trends, people of Goa have voted for change." (ANI)
BJP’s Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate leads by 383 votes in Panaji, while Independent candidate Utpal Parrikar, son of late Defence Minister is trailing. The contest is between the BJP and Parrikar’s son who is making his electoral debut. Monserrate, one of ten MLAs who defected from Congress to BJP in 2019. This is the first time he is contesting election on a BJP ticket.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is currently trailing in Sanquelim constituency. Congress’s Dharmesh Saglani is in the lead with 446 votes. During the February 14 polls in Goa , the Sanquelim assembly constituency saw the highest voter turnout of 89.64 per cent. Pramod Sawant had earlier said that he was confident of the BJP’s victory and also of returning as the chief minister of Goa.
Goa's Chief Electoral Officer Kunal monitors the counting process in 40 assembly constituencies.
Early numbers in Goa indicate that the BJP has crossed the halfway mark and is currently leading in 20 seats. The Congress is leading in 11 seats.
Before the counting began, Goa Congress sought a meeting with Governor P.S Sreedharan Pillai on Thursday afternoon. Speaking to the Indian Express, Pillai Thursday said, “Yesterday Congress party leaders sought a meeting and my office has conveyed to them that the party should give me the names of those who want to meet the governor but they did not. Any party president can meet the governor subject to his convenience. But a meeting as legislative party can be done only after the results are officially announced.”