Goa reports 11.04 pc voter turnout till 9 am

Panaji (Goa) [India], February 14 (ANI): With the commencement of polling in Goa, the voter turnout in all the 40 Assembly constituencies of the coastal state stood at 11.04 per cent till 9 am, according to the Election Commission of India.
Sanquelim from where Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is contesting the Goa Assembly elections witnessed the highest percentage of voters' turnout of 14.32 per cent till the time while 14.26 per cent of people cast their votes in the Priol constituency.
Mandrem recorded a voter turnout of 12.91 per cent while around 12.81 per cent of voters participated in polling in the Sanguem constituency, as per the Election Commission of India.
Meanwhile, Sawant also cast his vote earlier today and expressed confidence in his victory from the Sanquelim constituency.
The polling for 40 Assembly seats in Goa began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm today.
A total of 301 candidates from different political parties are in the electoral fray in Goa.
The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is challenged by Congress, Trinamool Congress, and Aam Admi Party (AAP) in a multi-cornered electoral contest in Goa.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is contesting from the Sanquelim constituency against Congress' Dharamesh Saglani while the BJP candidate from Margao seat, Manohar Ajgaonkar has been pitched against Congress nominee Digambar Vasant Kamat.
Goa Assembly has a strength of 40 members out of which the BJP currently has 17 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), and three independents. The GFP and MGP each have three MLAs, and Congress, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs in the house.
The counting of votes in Goa will take place on March 10. (ANI)