Poll Results: Goa CM Minister Pramod Sawant trailing Cong

Panaji: The day begins for Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with morning blues, as the vote counting kicked off at 8 am.

Early reports from counting centres showed Pramad Sawant trailing behind Congress rival Dharmesh Saglani by 436 votes.

Could this be a pointer? It is pretty much hard to guess at anything in the early hours. For a candidate hopefully looking forward to the counting day, not least an incumbent chief minister, a dull opening could throw a spanner in the affairs of day ahead. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is contesting in the constituency of Sanquelim in South Goa.

BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade continued to express confidence that the BJP would win a "clear majority" when the results are finally declared, IANS reported.

Close to a fortnight after the polls in the state on February 14, election commission started counting votes in the morning in many centres.

For most part of the day, candidates will be on tender hooks waiting for the fresh updates, with occasional surge and sudden fall from the heights.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Kunal, counting of votes locked in electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be taken after counting of service votes and absentee ballots, IANS reported.

"The counting process will begin with the counting of service voters, then, absentee voter ballots will be counted, after which polling officials ballots will be counted. Then at 8.30 a.m. counting of EVMs will start," Kunal said..

Exit polls the other day forecast a political abeyance in the state with BJP and the Congress getting stuck in a limbo. The Congress is all agog trying not to repeat the fiasco last time that saw BJP coming to power despite Congress being the largest party. Attempts by both parties are reportedly underway to close ranks with smaller parties gain power. Let's wait to see how the day is unfolding for Goa today.