Assembly poll results LIVE | Haryana hat-trick for BJP; NC-Congress win J&K
EC responds to Congress on allegations of slowdown in updating Haryana results
The Election Commission on Tuesday told Congress leader Jairam Ramesh that there was nothing on record to substantiate his "ill-founded allegation" of slowdown in updating of Haryana poll results.
Earlier in the day, the Congress had raised with the Election Commission the issue of an "unexplained slowdown" in updating of results of Haryana elections on the poll watchdog's website and urged it to direct officials to update accurate figures so that "false news and malicious narratives" can be countered immediately.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Ramesh said that over the last two hours between 9 and 11 am there has been an "unexplained slowdown" in updating of results on the ECI's website.
In its response, the poll authority said counting of votes is being carried out as per Rule 60 of Conduct of Election Rules at the designated counting centres and by the designated authorities following statutory and regulatory regime.
The EC said the entire counting process in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir is unfolding in the presence of candidates, observers and micro-observers as per rules.
"There is nothing on record to substantiate your ill-founded allegation of slowdown in updating of results. Your memorandum also does not bring out any contrary facts as to the delay at any of the constituencies in Haryana or J-K," it told Ramesh.
Omar Abdullah wins Budgam seat
NC vice president Omar Abdullah wins Budgam seat, defeats PDP's Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by more than 18,000 votes
Vinesh Phogat wins from Julana, Haryana
Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, making her electoral debut on a Congress ticket, has registered victory. She defeated BJP's Yogesh Kumar.
NC youth president Salman Sagar wins from Hazratbal
NC youth president Salman Ali Sagar scored his maiden victory in assembly polls on Tuesday as he defeated PDP leader Asiea Naqash by a margin of more than 10,000 votes from the Hazratbal seat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sagar, who has been at the forefront of galvanising support for the NC after the abrogation of article 370 in 2019, polled 18,890 votes, while Naqash, a close aide of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, managed 8,595 votes.
Ten out of the 13 candidates including Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party's Mohammad Maqbool Beigh, lost their security deposit as they failed to get even 1,000 votes.
J&K: Omar Abdullah secures unassailable lead in Budgam
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah secured an unassailable lead of over 16,000 votes against PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam seat.
With just one round of counting to go, Abdullah secured 32,344 votes which was 16,294 more than Mehdi's 16,050 votes.
Abdullah, who is the front runner for the post of chief minister, is also leading from the family bastion of Ganderbal by a margin of over 5,000 votes over PDP candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir.
Cong retains Nuh as Aftab Ahmed defeats INLD's Tahir Hussain
Congress candidate Aftab Ahmed won the Nuh assembly seat in Haryana on Tuesday, defeating his nearest rival and Indian National Lok Dal nominee Tahir Hussain. according to the Election Commission.
Ahmed, who was the outgoing MLA from Nuh, defeated Hussain by a margin of 46,963 votes.
The BJP's Sanjay Singh was at the third spot.
NC's Nazir Ahmad Khan wins Gurez seat
National Conference leader Nazir Ahmad Khan won the Gurez assembly seat for a fourth time in a row, defeating the BJP's Faqeer Mohammad Khan by a margin of 1,132 votes, according to the Election Commission.
Nazir Ahmad Khan has got 8,378 votes while his BJP rival has managed 7,246 votes.
Nazir Ahmad Khan was elected from this seat in 2002, 2008 and 2014 as well, while Faqeer Mohammad Khan had won it in 1996 as an Independent.
Nazir Ahmad Khan, a former deputy speaker of the erstwhile J-K assembly, won the 2014 elections by a slender margin of around 100 votes.
The smallest constituency in J&K located right near the Line of Control had seen high-voltage campaign with Defence minister Rajnath Singh addressing a rally there in the hope of giving the BJP its first seat in the Valley.