goa elections

The Bombay High Court has postponed a hearing on petitions challenging the Ponda byelection, scheduled for April 9. Petitioners argue the election is unnecessary with less than a year remaining in the assembly's term. The Election Commission requested more time to present its position, citing the chief electoral officer's absence from Goa. The court is awaiting the EC's official stance.

Goa Forward Party candidate Jayesh Salgaonkar defeats BJP MLA and current tourism minister Dilip Parulekar in Saligao in the 2017 state assembly elections for Goa. Salgaonkar benefited from the entry of Aam Aadmi Party, the Shiv Sena and the Congress’s lethargic entry in Saligao which was seen to be loyal to Parulekar.

Former Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who quit the Congress to join the BJP ahead of the polls, is leading in Cumbarjua constituency in the 2017 state assembly polls in Goa. Madkaikar has polled 6485 votes while Congress candidate Xavier Fialho has pulled in a distant 2052 votes.

Bharatiya Janata Party retained its hold over Defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s home turn but just by a narrow margin. Sitting BJP MLA Sidharth Kuncalienkar emerged as a giant killer on Saturday to defeat Taleigao strongman Atanasio Monserrate whose decision to contest from Panaji constituency appears to have backfired.

Water resources minister and BJP candidate Dayanand Mandrekar lost to Goa Forward's Vinod Dattaram Paliencar in Siolim. Paliencar received 8880 votes and won by a margin of 1197 votes.

It was a money-making day for flower vendors in Panaji who gathered at the election counting centre in North Goa as early as 9am hoping to sell garlands to winning candidates.

Deputy chief minister and BJP leader from Mapusa Francis D'Souza has won the state assembly election for the fifth time.

Counting of votes of 40 assembly constituencies to the Goa state assembly elections finally began on Saturday morning, after more than a thirty day wait.

NEW DELHI: Elections to the 40-member Goa assembly will be held on May 30 to be followed by byelections to three Lok Sabha constituencies and 12 assembly seats in eight states the next day, the Election Commission decided on Wednesday.

The Bharatiya Janta Party won three seats in the Goa 2017 state assembly elections and has amassed a 32.9% vote share in the first two rounds of counting while the Congress has secured one constituency for itself with 27.1% vote share.

Manohar Parrikar said BJP is in "best position" to form the government. "In the situation of a fractured mandate, everyone is in the run to form the government. We are also there. If BJP acts like a core group and brings together smaller parties, we can still give a stable government," Parrikar said.

The BJP cruised into a position to form the government with its alliance partner, MGP, after their candidates together won 23 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly at the completion of counting in two centres in Goa.