Goa Assembly polls: 44.62 pc voter turnout till 1 pm

Panaji: Goa recorded 44.62 percent voter turnout till 1 pm on Monday as polling was underway for the elections to 40 Assembly seats in the coastal state, as per the Election Commission’s data. So far, the highest turnout of 54 percent was reported in Sankhalim (North Goa) Assembly segment, from where Chief Minister and BJP leader Pramod Sawant is contesting.

Besides, the Sanguem constituency in South Goa recorded 53.91 percent polling till 1 pm, while the Valpoi Assembly segment reported a low turnout of 39 percent, as per official figures.

Voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

The counting of votes will be held on March 10.

Over 11 lakh people are eligible to cast their votes in the state. They include 9,590 people with disabilities, 2,997 aged over 80 years, 41 sex workers, and nine transgenders.

Goa is witnessing a multi-cornered contest, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and other smaller parties vying to make a mark on the state’s electoral scene.

To check the spread of COVID-19, voters have been provided hand gloves at the polling stations, an election official said. Over 100 ‘all-women’ polling booths have been set up in the state for the convenience of female voters.