Panaji: Early trends on Tuesday showed the Congress leading in 5 seats in Goa with the BJP coming a close second, leading in 3 seats. The United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP), meanwhile, was leading in 1 seat. A total of 215 candidates, including nine women and 74 independents are in the fray in the state. They are contesting for 23 seats in north Goa and 17 in south Goa district.
Goa, in which the Congress has its government headed by Digambar Kamat, is a state where post poll formulations matter as much as the poll itself.
Joint Chief Electoral Officer NS Navti said counting in Panaji and Margao would be completed within two hours and the results could possibly be announced before 11 am.
The official said that a workforce of nearly 1,000 personnel were engaged in the counting exercise.
"Both counting centres are being manned by an adequate force of security personnel to ensure that nothing untoward happens," Navti said.
It is likely that the independents and the smaller parties will hold the key in the state.
A win in Goa will help the UPA counter the massive, resurgent Anna movement. Early reports on Tuesday, however, suggested that there was not as much as a pro-BJP sentiment in the state as an anti-Congress sentiment. More than corruption and illegal mining, the main issue bothering the electorate seemed to be price rise.
It is fair to say that the state Assembly elections 2012 are being seen as a mini general election and a referendum on the UPA government.
The big questions in Goa:
Will the Congress beat back anti-incumbency and corruption charges?
Has the BJP been able to win over a section of the Catholic vote?
Will family raj prove to be the downfall of the Congress in the state?
Will, in the end, the smaller parties and independents hold the key to government formation in the state?
The parties in the fray
The main contest is between the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party combine.
The Trinamool Congress, a new entrant, fielded 20 candidates.
Other parties like Samajwadi Party, Samajwadi Janata Party, Republican Party of India and Janata Dal-Secular are contesting along with the Goa Vikas Party and the United Goan Democratic party (UGDP).
Besides, the civil society came together under the banner of the Zagrut Goenkarancho Ekvott (ZGE) and fielded 10 candidates.
Record voter turnout
Over 1,600 electronic voting machines will on Tuesday reveal which party rules the 10.26 lakh Goans who voted in record numbers on Saturday for a new government. According to poll officials, the new ruling political dispensation in Goa will be decided within two hours of counting at the two counting centres on Tuesday.
Both the ruling and the opposition, as well as the several independent candidates and regional parties who have contested the elections, have tried to interpret the record 82.8 per cent mandate as a good omen for them. "There is no doubt in my mind that this is our mandate. The Congress-NCP's good governance and positive campaign has worked in our favour. The people have come out in a huge number against the BJP's negative campaign," Congress working president Francisco Sardinha said on Monday.
The Congress is contesting 33 seats, while its alliance partner has put up the remaining seven candidates in the 40-member Assembly.
The BJP has said the overwhelming, record voting percentage was a sign that the people had had enough of misrule by the Congress-NCP alliance. "You just wait and watch on Tuesday. Do you need a bigger indictment of a government than a total rejection by more than 80 per cent of the population?" BJP general secretary Govind Parvatkar said.
The BJP contested the elections with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) as an alliance partner.
Regional parties, however, believe that the heavy-duty campaigning by both the Congress might just fracture the verdict in Goa and are revelling in the prospects of becoming king makers. "All I can say is that the next government will be formed with the help of regional parties," said Mickky Pacheco, whose wife Viola is the president of the Goa Vikas party (GVP).
Independent candidates like Avertano Furtado claim that they could decide the course of government formation if things come to a crunch. Furtado who is taking on heavyweight public works department (PWD) minister Churchill Alemao said that with 74 independent candidates in the fray, several of whom are rebels rejected by national parties, the pendulum could swing anyway.
"Be prepared for a surprise. A few independents could hold the key I think because people are frustrated with all the national parties which have led Goa nowhere," he said.
The Budget and the poll results:
Interestingly, the poll results are coming just ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, and how the parties fare will determine whose voice will be heard more.
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