Panaji

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed on Thursday that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form a government once again in the state.

"The credit for this win goes to the party workers...BJP will form the government in Goa," Sawant told reporters. He also said that Independent MLA, Chandrakant Shetye, has extended support to BJP.

Chief Minister and BJP candidate Pramod Sawant once again retained the Sanquelim constituency defeating Congress candidate Dharmesh Saglani by a margin of over 650 votes. Sawant said that he has sought Goa Governor's appointment to stake a claim to form the next government.

The BJP has won 7 seats and is inching closer to attaining halfway mark in Goa with the party leading in 13 Assembly seats, according to the Election Commission of India data on the poll trends.

The Congress has won 3 seats and is leading in 8 seats followed by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak and AP which are leading n 2 seats each. Independents won 2 seats.

The BJP candidate, Praveen Arlekar, has won from Pernem seat.

The BJP candidate Joshua D'Souza wins from the Mapusa constituency. He defeated Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar.

The BJP candidate Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate secured the prestigious Panaji seat by defeating former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son and independent candidate Utpal Parrikar by a margin of 700 votes.

"As an Independent candidate, it was a good fight, I thank the people. I am satisfied with the fight but the result is a little disappointing," Parrikar said.

Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai has won from the Fatorda constituency by 1,300 votes.
Amid predictions of a hung Assembly by the pollsters, leaders of the BJP and Congress in Goa would be keeping a close watch on the popular verdict to assess their chances of forming government in the state.

Congress, which is also hopeful of forming the government, has asked its candidates to stay at a resort to prevent any attempt at "poaching". The party's leaders in Goa are said to be in touch with state leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) "to prevent the BJP from returning to power" in the state.

The BJP fought the elections on all 40 seats in the state while the Goa Forward Party (GFP) entered into a pre-poll alliance with Congress. The TMC allied with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for the polls.