BJP, Congress lead in one seat each in Goa

BJP leads in North Goa, Congress in South Goa in early trends. Repeat of 2019 with each party leading in one Lok Sabha seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are leading in one Lok Sabha seat each in Goa, according to early trends at 9.15am on Tuesday, after election officials completed counting postal ballots. Goa sends two MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Polling officials at a counting centre in Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

The BJP’s five-time MP Shripad Naik is leading by 918 votes from North Goa, which he is widely expected to win. Meanwhile, the Congress’ Viriato Fernandes is leading the BJP’s Pallavi Dempo by 1,593 votes in the South Goa seat, which has a sizeable Christian minority.

If the trends continue it will mean a repeat of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which saw the BJP and the Congress share one seat each in the polls.