Goa will witness a close battle between the ruling Congress party and the Bhartiya Janata Party as the state goes to poll today to choose the members for its legislative Assembly.
Adequate security arrangements have been put in place in the state which will vote today to elect the 11th Legislative Assembly.
The administration has made arrangements for a two- fold police security keeping in mind the sensitivity of certain constituencies.
The administration has deployed 13 battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and four companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) along with Goa police.
The Election Commission has marked 86 booths as sensitive and 58 as hyper sensitive in North Goa. In South Goa, 93 booths have been declared sensitive and 27 hypersensitive.
“Election machinery is all geared for the polls for the 40-member Assembly of which one is reserved for scheduled castes,” Goa Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Negi told reporters here.
The people will today pass their verdict on the fate of 202 candidates, including 49 independents.
Prominent candidates who are in the fray include Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane of the Congress and six other former CMs.
Rane’s son Vishwajeet is in fray as an Independent from Valpoi seat.
BJP, which was ousted from power in February 2005, has the highest number of candidates in the fray. It is contesting 33 seats, while the ruling Congress has fielded candidates in 32 constituencies.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is contesting in six seats. It has forged an alliance with the Congress Party.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), the oldest regional outfit in the state which dominated the political scene till 1980s, has put up 26 candidates.
The Janata Dal (S) is contesting 12 seats, Communist Party of India (CPI) four, Republican Party of India (Athawale) four, Save Goa Front and the Shiv Sena are contesting seven each.
Courtesy:Sahara SamayÂ
