Voting for 40-member assembly begins in Goa

Panaji, Mar 3 (ANI): Voting to elect a new 40-member assembly began in Goa amidst tight security this morning.

Over 10.25 lakh voters are expected to exercise their voting rights in Goa, where the polling is being held in a single-phase.

About 215 candidates are in the fray this time, out of which 74 candidates are independent and nine are women.

Voting is being be held at 1612 polling booths with around 10,644 poll personnel on duty.

BJP leader Manohar Parrikar, who is seeking re-election from Panaji constituency, expressed confidence that his party would perform exceptionally well in the Goa polls.

"Our confidence level is high because people there is a large queue of people since morning and I am expecting a good turnout that will be definitely beneficial to Bharatiya Janata Party," said Parrikar.

"People are voting Congress out on the basic five years misrule of theirs. So, on the top of it, family rule, so that is the basic concept of people to vote out Congress," he added, while taking a dig at the Congress Party.

The Election Commission has also identified 180 critical and vulnerable polling booths in the state, which will be kept under special supervision of micro observers.

The assembly elections in Goa would be between the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party combine.

The counting of votes will be held on March 6. (ANI)