Goa goes to the polls: 20 percent voting in first three hours

Panaji: Nearly 20 per cent voting was recorded in Goa assembly polls in the first three hours today with minor disturbances reported from some areas. Polling began at 7 AM at 1,612 booths spread across the two districts of the coastal state - North Goa and South Goa - amidst tight security. Voting will end at 5 PM. [caption id=“attachment_232760” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Around 24 per cent of voters had cast their ballot in South Goa while around 17 per cent had voted in North Goa at 10 am. Reuters”] [/caption] Around 24 per cent of total voters had cast their ballot in South Goa till 10 AM, while the turnout was 17 per cent in North Goa, officials said. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat cast his vote in his constituency Margao, while Leader of Opposition and BJP member Manohar Parrikar exercised his franchise in a booth in Panaji. A total of 215 candidates, including nine women and 74 Independents, are in the fray for 40 Assembly seats in Goa, where the number of voters stood at 10.25 lakh. Ruling Congress-NCP alliance and Opposition BJP-MGP combination are the main contenders for power in the state. Police said minor incidents of scuffle were reported from some places in the state. In Panaji, Congress candidate Yatin Parekh was allegedly involved in a brawl with BJP supporters at Mason de Amorim polling booth. Additional force was requisition to bring the situation under control, they said. Polling was briefly halted at a booth in Mandrem constituency due to glitch in an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), which was promptly replaced. Parrikar said the initial turnout is a positive sign for BJP-MGP alliance. “People are angry with the Government. They have come in large numbers to vote out the Congress-NCP alliance,” he said. On the other hand, the Chief Minister said the Congress was expecting a mandate in its favour. Tension prevailed in Davorlim, a suburb of Margao city, after supporters of Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao clashed with BJP activists, police said. Additional paramilitary personnel were rushed to the area. A police officer was suspended by the Election Commission for dereliction in duty after he allowed a bus full of voters to leave unchecked in the port town of Vasco. Inspector Fransic Corte was placed under suspension after the incident this morning, EC officials stated, adding they had earlier received three complaints against him. Corte was allegedly involved in a scuffle with media persons on Friday. PTI