Counting of votes begins for 2 Lok Sabha seats in Goa

Panaji, Jun 4 (PTI) The counting of votes for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa began Tuesday morning, with the ruling BJP engaged in a straight fight with the Congress, which currently holds one of the seats.

The counting of votes began at 8 am, an election official said.

Polling for the two seats, North Goa and South Goa, was held in a single phase on May 7. North Goa recorded 76.34 per cent voter turnout and South Goa saw 73 per cent voters exercising their franchise.

Eight candidates contested from each seat.

The BJP has been in power in the coastal state since 2012.

The counting of votes for North Goa seat is being held at Government Polytechnic College, Altinho at Panaji, while for South Goa, it is being held at Damodar College, Comba in Margao.

North Goa has sitting BJP MP Shripad Naik taking on Congress candidate former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, while the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), a new regional outfit, fielded its chief Manoj Parab.

In South Goa, the Congress denied a ticket to its sitting MP Francisco Sardinha and fielded Viriato Fernandes against businesswoman Pallavi Dempo, who is making her political debut as a BJP nominee.

The RGP has fielded Rubert Pereira from the constituency.

North Goa has 157 tables for counting, while the figure is 161 for South Goa. As many as 236 micro observers have been deployed for counting of votes in North Goa and 242 for South Goa, the official said. PTI RPS ARU VT VT