Panaji, Feb 16 (IANS): The Congress in Goa has vowed not the repeat the 2017 post poll fiasco, when despite being a single-largest party, its leadership delayed staking claim to form government in the coastal state, resulting in the BJP hurriedly cobbling together an alliance to form its government.

State Congress President Girish Chodankar on Tuesday said that the party legislators would finalise a Chief Ministerial candidate within "five minutes" of the results being announced on March 10.

"After results are declared, we will decide on our Chief Minister within five minutes this time," he told a press conference.

"Our assessment says that the BJP will be below 10 (MLAs) and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance will form a government," Chodankar also said, even as the state Bharatiya Janata Party president and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant have maintained that the ruling party will win "22 plus" seats in the assembly polls which concluded on Friday.

As many as 78.94 percent voters cast ballot in the Assembly elections, which were held over a single phase on February 14 and saw 301 candidates in the fray.