72.04 per cent voting recorded in Goa for two Lok Sabha seats

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Panaji: Goa registered 72.04 per cent voting as the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the coastal state went to the polls in the third phase of the general elections Tuesday.

The polling percentage was lower than that in 2014.

The voter turn-out Tuesday was 73.92 per cent in North Goa constituency and 70.15 per cent in South Goa constituency, state election officials said.

By-elections to three Assembly constituencies were also held simultaneously.

Mandrem Assembly seat recorded the highest 81.61 per cent turnout, Shiroda 80.09 per cent and Mapusa 75.15 per cent.

Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said the voting was peaceful all over the state.

He said glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported in some places, but they were rectified.

Sankhalim segment in North Goa Lok Sabha seat, represented by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the assembly, recorded the highest 81.82 per cent polling, while Benaulim segment in South Goa recorded the lowest 61.99 per cent.

The polling across 1,652 polling stations started at 7 am and continued till 6 pm.

The turnout was less compared to the 76.86 per cent registered during the 2014 Parliamentary elections, when the BJP had won both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa.

Kunal said long weekends and holiday season might have led to the dip in the polling percentage.

Congress candidate from North Goa Girish Chodankar and BJP nominee Shripad Naik exercised their franchise in the morning.

In South Goa, Congress candidate Francis Sardinha, BJP nominee Narendra Sawaikar and Shiv Sena candidate Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik were among the early voters.

There are 12 candidates in the fray for the two Lok Sabha constituencies and 18 for the three Assembly seats.

By-elections in Shiroda and Mandrem were necessitated after sitting Congress MLAs joined the ruling BJP. The Mapusa seat fell vacant following the death of its sitting MLA.