Assembly poll results LIVE | BJP leads in Haryana; Cong-NC edge past BJP in J&K
J&K will get an elected government for the first time after abrogation of Article 370; BJP is fighting anti-incumbency in Haryana after two terms
Early trends in counting on Tuesday (October 8) showed the BJP and the Congress locked in a neck to neck fight in Haryana with the former inching back to a winning position with a lead in 47 seats. The BJP had won 40 seats in the 90-member Assembly in 2019.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the NC-Congress combine, have maintained their lead at 49 seats while the BJP is leading only in 22.
Jammu and Kashmir, after a decade-long hiatus, will finally witness the government of its choice come to power with the counting of votes for the Assembly polls on Tuesday (October 8) set to determine the fate of 873 candidates.
In Haryana, political parties and leaders are waiting with bated breath as the counting day approaches, with the ruling BJP confident of retaining power for a third term, and the Congress, which out of power for 10 years, more than hopeful of making a comeback.
The counting of votes, both in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana began at 8 am.
3-tier security
According to the Election Commission (EC), a three-tier security set up has been put in place at all the 20 counting centres across Jammu and Kashmir where the votes will be counted for the 90-member Assembly. Similar security arrangements have been made in Haryana.
This is the first time the Union territory of J&K will get an elected government following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The Assembly polls were held across the region in three phases between September 18 and October 1.
The first ever polls in Jammu and Kashmir after it was made a Union Territory witnessed a voter turnout of 63.45 per cent, less than the 65.52 per cent recorded in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Edge for NC-Congress alliance
Exit polls results have put the National Conference-Congress alliance in the pole position with the regional party getting the lion's share of the seats.
The BJP is expected to slightly improve on its tally of 25 seats which it had won in the 2014 assembly polls while the PDP, which had won 28 seats in the polls held 10 years ago, is predicted to win less than 10 seats this time.
The pollsters have not given much of a chance to the new and emerging parties like the People's Conference, Apni Party, Democratic Azad Party of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Awami Ittehad Party of Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid. These parties along with independents are expected to win around 10 seats.
Pitched contest between BJP, Congress
The elections in Haryana are the first major direct contest between the BJP and the Congress following the Lok Sabha polls, and the result here would be used by the winner to build a narrative in their favour in other states where polls due over the next few months.
The key parties in the fray are the BJP, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party. However, most seats are likely to see a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress.
Elections are due in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi in a few months.
Follow The Federal’s exclusive coverage of J&K and Haryana polls:
Exit poll | Jammu and Kashmir predictions offer silver lining to BJP
J&K polls | Two sides of NC-Congress pact: Bonhomie on stage, acrimony on ground Sajjad Lone: ‘J&K will be one of the weakest Assemblies in India’
The dawn of voting rights for Jammu’s Gorkha, Valmiki communities | J&K elections
National Conference has realized its mistakes, says Srinagar MP | Interview‘Desperate’ BJP changes tack in Haryana
Why women leaders are giving BJP headaches in battleground Haryana
Follow this space our live updates:
The National Conference-Congress alliance has taken lead on 46 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, while the BJP is leading on 23 seats, according to initial trends.
Trends uploaded by the Election Commission showed that the PDP was ahead in three seats in the Union territory while the Independents are leading on eight seats.
The National Conference was leading in 39 seats while its ally Congress was ahead in seven seats, according to trends uploaded by the Election Commission for 64 of the 90 seats.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI(M), Peoples Conference and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) are also leading on one seat each.
Prominent among those who leading are National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah leading on both the seats, Pradesh Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami and BJP’s former minister Sham Lal Sharma and Devender Singh Rana.
However, J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina is trailing by 2,797 votes to his nearest National Conference rival Surinder Choudhary from Nowshera constituency.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah is leading on both Budgam and Ganderbal seats, while Iltija Mufti of the PDP is trailing from Srigufwara-Biejbehara seat, according to initial trends.
People's Conference president Sajad Lone, who is also contesting from two seats, is leading in Handwara seat by a slender margin of 390 votes, while trailing in Kupwara segment, according to Election Commission trends for Jammu and Kashmir.
In Budgam, Abdullah is leading by 1,400 votes while he is leading by 622 votes in Ganderbal. Iltija Mufti, the daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, is trailing by more than 1,842 votes against NC's Bashir Ahmad Veeri.
Haryana Chief Minister and BJP candidate Nayab Singh Saini is leading from the Ladwa assembly seat against his nearest rival and Congress nominee Mewa Singh, according to the Election Commission.
Saini was leading by 732 votes, as per the early trends.
“There should be transparency. If people’s mandate is against BJP, they shouldn’t pull any tricks,” Omar Abdullah told reporters.
BJP is leading in Haryana
All three observers of AICC for Haryana, Ajay Maken, Ashok Gehlot and Partap Singh Bajwa will be going to Chandigarh, say sources.