Panaji, Feb 14 (PTI) Goa recorded a 60.18 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm on Monday as polling is underway for the 40 Assembly seats in the coastal state where a multi-party contest is playing out while the ruling BJP is seeking a third straight term.
As per the Election Commission of India’s data, 60.18 per cent of voters cast their vote by 3 PM with the Sankhalim Assembly constituency in North Goa recording the maximum 70 per cent turnout.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant is seeking another term as MLA from the Sankhalim segment.
Sanguem assembly constituency in south Goa recorded 69.47 per cent polling till 3 PM followed by 66.58 per cent in Quepem.
In contrast, the keenly-contested Panaji constituency witnessed a low turnout of 55.10 per cent till 3 PM.
The main contest in Panaji lies between Utpal Parrikar, son of the late chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who is contesting as an Independent after the BJP denied him a ticket, against sitting BJP MLA Atanasio Monserrate.
The lowest 53.38% voting was reported at Sanvordem till 3 PM.
Voting in Goa began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.
The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.
Over 11 lakh people are eligible to cast their votes in Goa. They include 9,590 people with disabilities, 2,997 aged over 80 years, 41 sex workers and nine transgenders.
Goa is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Local Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, which has tied up with TMC, and the Goa Forward Party, which stitched an alliance with Congress, are also in the fray against the ruling BJP. The NCP and Shiv Sena have also fielded candidates.
To check the spread of COVID-19, voters have been provided hand gloves at the polling stations, an election official said. Over 100 ‘all-women’ polling booths have been set up in the state for the convenience of female voters. PTI RPS GK NSK NSK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Source: The Print
