Assembly polls 2017: Three-cornered contest begins in Goa, Punjab

251 candidates are in the fray for the 40-member Goa assembly, while 1,145 candidates are in fray to for the 117-member assembly.

Polling for 40 seats of the Goa assembly and 117 seats of Punjab began at 8 am amid tight security arrangements on Saturday.

In Goa, 251 candidates, including 19 women, are in the fray for the 40-member assembly. Around 11 lakh voters will decide the fate of the candidates the state, which is set for a three cornered contest. More than 1,600 polling booths have been set up for the polls. About 90 CRPF companies and over 3,300 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order in the coastal state.

In Punjab, 1,145 candidates are in fray to for the 117-member assembly. Punjab, where the main contest is between the BJP-SAD alliance, the Congress and the AAP, has around 1.98 crore eligible voters. More than 22,500 polling stations have been set up, with over one lakh security personnel deployed for smooth conduct of elections.

According to reports, 100 polling stations have been declared as critical in Punjab and around 5,500 pockets have been considered vulnarable.

BJP is contesting 36 seats and supporting four independents in Goa, while the Congress is contesting polls in the coastal state in 38 seats. The AAP has fielded its candidates in 39 seats, while the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party-Goa Suraksha Manch-Shiv Sena alliance is contesting 28 of the state's 40 seats.

In Punjab, BJP is contesting in 23 seats while its ally Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting in 94 seats. The Congress is conteting in all the 117 seats on its own, while the AAP has fielded its candidates in 112 seats.

OneIndia News