With 'Hung Assembly' threat in Goa, Pramod Sawant meets PM Modi

Panaji, Mar 08: As exit polls predict hung assembly, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Tuesday. Sawant exuded confidence of winning the assembly elections and forming the next government in the state with the help of regional parties. Assembly elections were held in Goa on February 14 and the counting of votes is scheduled for March 10.

Exit polls have mostly predicted that Goa to be heading for a hung assembly. The leaders are expected to discuss the future course of action.

Out of eight, only three polls have indicated that the saffron party might get more seats than its rival party Congress in the 40-member assembly.

However, no party is crossing the 21-seat mark to independently form their government on their own. AAP and others are expected to play a key role in forming the next government in the coastal state, if we have to go by the polls.

The single-phase polling was held on February 14 in Goa for the 40 assembly seats which passed off peacefully with no untoward incident being reported from any part of the state.

Goa witnessed a multi-cornered contest with the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Local Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, which has tied up with TMC, and the Goa Forward Party, which stitched an alliance with Congress, are also in the fray against the ruling BJP.

The NCP and Shiv Sena have also fielded candidates.

The 2022 assembly elections were the first to be held after the demise of Manohar Parrikar, the tallest BJP leader in the state, who served four terms as chief minister.

In the 2017 elections, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party winning 17 seats, but BJP had pipped them to power after roping in the support of regional parties.

In the 2022 elections, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had joined hands with the Trinamool Congress, while the Goa Forward Party had a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

The NCP and Shiv Sena were hoping for an alliance with the Congress, but entered the fray together after the grand old party gave them a cold shoulder.