Goa polls: BJP leading in 18 seats, Cong in 12

Panaji (Goa, India): The ruling BJP was ahead of the Congress in Goa with the saffron party candidates leading in 18 seats on Thursday, according to trends available for all 40 seats in the coastal state.

The Congress was leading in 12 seats, while the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was ahead in five seats. The Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were leading in one seat each, while the independents were ahead in three seats, as per the Election Commission of India's (ECI) website.

Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Pramod Sawant was trailing behind Congress candidate Dharmesh Saglani in Sankhalim constituency by 317 votes, according to the ECI data.

The counting of votes is underway for the Assembly elections held in the state on February 14. (PTI)