BJP struggles to get majority in Goa, Congress makes strong comeback

PANAJI: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are in a neck-and-neck fight in Goa with each party winning 11 seats and leading in three constituencies each. For the Congress, which won just nine seats in 2012 state assembly elections, it is a gain but for the BJP which had a simple majority of 21 in 2012, there is an impression that the BJP is struggling to come anywhere close to the magic number of 21 this time around.
Interestingly, the latest entrant into Goa’s political scene, Goa Forward Party has already won three out of the four seats that it contested in the Goa assembly polls.
The MGP has won three seats though senior party member Pandurang Dhavalikar has lost from his constituency in Priol. NCP’s Churchill Alemao has won Benaulim constituency for the Nationalist Congress Party.
Congress had shown good momentum in the early half of counting day to lead in various seats before BJP began to trim Congress’ lead.
BJP’s vote share in the state assembly elections stands at 33.4% while the Congress continues to trail with 27.5% vote share.