LS polls: 13 pc voter turnout in Goa till 9 am

Around 13 per cent voter turnout was reported in the first two hours of polling on Tuesday for elections in two Lok Sabha constituencies and bypolls in three Assembly seats in Goa.

As per the Election Commission, there was around 13.14 per cent polling in North Goa Lok Sabha seat and 13.12 per cent in South Goa.

Besides, around 13.05 per cent electorate cast their votes in Mandrem Assembly seat, 14.47 per cent in Mapusa and 13.18 per cent in Shiroda seat.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his wife were among the early voters.

State Governor Mridula Sinha and her husband also cast their votes in the morning at a polling booth in Dona Paula area near Panaji.

Congress candidate from North Goa Girish Chodankar and BJP nominee Shripad Naik also exercised their franchise early in the day.

In South Goa, Congress candidate Francis Sardinha, BJP nominee Narendra Sawaikar and Shiv Sena candidate Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik were also among the early voters.

The Aam Aadmi Party's contestants, Pradeep Padgaonkar and Elvis Gomes, who are fighting the elections from North Goa and South Goa seats respectively, also exercised their democratic right.

There are 12 candidates in the fray for the two Lok Sabha constituencies and 18 for the three Assembly seats.

The by-elections in Shiroda and Mandrem were necessitated after their sitting Congress MLAs resigned and joined the ruling BJP.

The Mapusa seat fell vacant following the death of its sitting MLA.