NEW DELHI: Will the charisma of
Manohar Parrikar help the BJP retain power in Goa? The Union defence minister led the campaign in his state, with BJP president Amit Shah making it clear that the next Goa government will function under Parrikar's leadership.
"Goa has given a big asset to the country in Manohar Parrikar. There is a huge demand for Parrikar in Delhi and also here in Goa. The people of Goa demand that we should send Parrikar back to the state," Amit Shah had said addressing a public meeting in Vasco town.
What makes this elections interesting in Goa is the presence of Arvind Kejriwal's party in the fray.
Will the Aam Aadmi Party spring a surprise in the state or will the Congress bid to make a comeback in the state succeed.
Answers to all the above questions and more will be revealed when counting of votes polled in the February 4 elections is taken up on Saturday morning.
The process will begin at 8am with the counting of postal ballots, before votes stored in more than 2,500 electronic voting machines are taken up around 8.30am.
Poll officials said counting is expected to conclude by early afternoon and the results declared before 2pm.
For the 40 assembly seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded candidates in 36, AAP in 39, Congress 37, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party 25 and the NCP in 37 seats.
A majority of exit polls projections released on Friday said the ruling BJP will emerge the winner or as single-largest party in the state assembly. The Congress, according to its state President Luizinho Faleiro, will emerge victorious.
The Aam Aadmi Party, contesting the Goa polls for the first time, also ran a high-blitz campaign and projected former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes as its chief ministerial candidate.
Another poll alliance that made the election fray interesting is the tie-up of the Gomantak Party-Shiv Sena and Goa Suraksha Manch, the latter floated by former state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Subhash Velingkar.
The combine has already announced its chief ministerial candidate in former Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar.
(With inputs from IANS)
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