The Battle for States kick starts on Saturday morning as after an aggressive campaigning, Goa and Punjab go on voting to choose their respective Legislative Assembly on Saturday morning. For the ruling BJP, this is the big electoral test after November’s notes ban. The Congress hopes to change that. Both parties also have to contend with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, which makes its debut in assembly elections in both Punjab and Goa.
ALSO READ: Battle for States: Congress has an edge over AAP In Punjab
Here are the LIVE updates:
High voter turnout of over 83 per cent recorded in Goa till 5 PM
Punjab has recorded an overall voter turnout of 48% till 2:30 PM
BJP-Akali Dal will win and Parkash Singh Badal will become the CM for the sixth time: BJP’s Hans Raj Hans
Goa and Punjab will create history today.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 4, 2017
All women Pink Polling Booth set up in Goa
10:30
10% polling in Punjab till 10 AM; polling remains peaceful
07:30
Punjab has 117 assembly seats, Goa has 40. Both states are voting in a single phase today. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had led the BJP to victory in Goa in 2012 was one of the first people to vote this morning at around 7:30 am.
06:43
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted this morning, “urging people of Punjab and Goa to turnout in record numbers and vote in the assembly elections.” He particularly urged young people to vote. The Akali Dal-BJP alliance has ruled Punjab for two straight terms which is ten years and both the Congress and AAP hope to benefit from an anti-incumbency sentiment.
Urging people of Punjab & Goa to turnout in record numbers & vote in the Assembly elections. I particularly urge my young friends to vote.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 4, 2017
Key contests feature a direct fight between chief ministerial aspirants Parkash Singh Badal, 89, and Captain Amarinder Singh, 75, of the Congress in Lambi and a mega battle in Jalalabad between Sukhbir Badal and Bhagwant Singh Mann, seen as AAP’s leading contender for chief minister if the party wins.
WATCH NewsMobile Reality Check of Punjab Polls