New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 13 seats as it races ahead of Congress in Goa Zilla Panchayat elections. Meanwhile, the Congress has bagged 2 seats so far, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) won 1, and the independent candidates have won 5 seats. From the looks of it, the BJP is likely to retain its position. The counting of votes for the 48 Zilla panchayat polls began Monday morning and the final results are expected by evening.
It must be noted that the Zilla panchayat elections are a bellwether for the upcoming Assembly elections in Goa.
The BJP fielded 43 candidates, while the Congress has fielded 38 candidates, followed by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party with 17 each. There are also 79 Independent candidates in the fray.
Over four lakh voters, including 2,27,916 males and 2,21,972 females, exercised their franchise for the panchayat polls, while about 8 lakh people were eligible to vote.
Goa has 50 Zilla Panchayat seats, but one unopposed candidate has already been declared victorious, while a candidate contesting from the Navelim seat in South Goa district has died, forcing the State Election Commission to countermand polling in the constituency.