Goa Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: The stage is set for Goa to go to polls today for its 40-member legislative assembly. A total of 301 candidates representing 12 political parties and independents are in the fray for the polls – nearly 21% higher than in 2014 and nearly 50% higher than the 213 candidates who were contesting back in 2012. Over 11 lakh people are eligible to cast their votes today. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
In the earlier elections in 2017, the Congress had won 17 seats, while the BJP bagged 13. The BJP had then quickly sort an alliance with some regional outfits and independents to form government in the state. The state is currently ruled by the BJP which has 17 MLAs in the state and has alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), and three independents. The main opposition in the party remained Congress, which has 15 MLAs in the house.
Traditionally Goa has seen two-sided politics, but is witnessing a multi-cornered contest this time with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) throwing its hat in the ring. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other smaller parties are also vying to make a mark on Goa’s electoral scene. The Congress and the GFP are fighting the election in alliance, while the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has joined hands with the MGP.
The Shiv Sena and the NCP had also announced their pre-poll alliance, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is contesting on its own.
Here are the latest updates in Goa Elections 2022:
• There are a total of 1722 polling stations in Goa.
• There are 105 all-women polling booths, also called as the ‘pink booths’, eight polling booths managed by differently-abled people, while 11 are eco-friendly booths (discouraging use of plastic).
• Chief Electoral Officer Kunal had said the average number of eligible voters per booth in the state is 672, the lowest in the country. The Vasco Assembly constituency has the highest number of 35,139 eligible voters, while the Mormugao seat has the lowest number of voters at 19,958, he said.
• Voting will open at 7 am and continue till 6 pm the election commission added an extra hour of voting in order to ensure that adequate arrangements and social distancing is maintained.
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