Major parties claiming victory in Goa

With barely a day to go for declaring the results of the 40-seat Goa Assembly polls, exit polls have started making their figures felt, even as the grassroots-level feedback in Goa is that it is too close to call the top winners in this political battle of the electorate.

While the some exit polls have ruled out majority for any party, others do not see Congress forming the Government. The Axis poll sees the Congress bagging more than last elections, and BJP less seats than what they won in 2012, while the C-voter exit poll predicted that BJP will bag 15 to 21 seats, Congress (12 to 18 seats) and AAP with O to 4 seats, besides other parties getting 2 to 8 seats. The MRC exit poll gave BJP 15 seats, Congress (10) and AAP 7 seats.

However, all parties rejected the exit polls results and expressed confidence that their respective parties would come out in a total majority and form the Government.

Polling in Goa, which saw the Congress, BJP, AAP and the MGP-GSM-Shiv Sena alliance, besides various smaller parties in the electoral fray, was held on February 4 which witnessed a staggering record voter turnout of 83% from its 11,10,884 electorate in 12 talukas.

The issues highlighted in the Goa elections were: coconut trees being considered as "grass," proliferation of "casinos," among others. However these issues were sidelined in the election campaign by the common man, who prefers to look at ground reality – development, said Deputy Chief Minister Francis Dsouza while adding that the BJP is expecting to win the Goa assembly elections with a comfortable majority.

"Goa's overall development has made people understand that the BJP delivers on its election promises, and besides also the advantage of the Central Government being BJP is also very helpful when we need central funds. With Goa's future witnessing massive much-needed and ongoing projects like MOPA Airport, the Mandovi, Zuari and Talpona bridges, broadening of highways and use of inland waterways, the BJP's five-year performance speaks for itself," he noted.

"Expect something surprising to happen in the 2017 election results," said AAP's CM-designate Elvis Gomes, who is confident of winning from his assembly constituency – Cuncolim – and also expecting a positive outcome for his party candidates. "AAP Goa fielded clean and sincere, new faces and non-traditional politicians in highlighting our motto of transparency in working, alongside battling corruption issues like the Rs 36,000 crore mining scam, livelihood issues mainly neglected in most part of Goa."