BJP set for historic Haryana hat-trick, NC-Congress headed for J&K ...
The BJP came back from behind to stop Congress's celebrations on its tracks as leads show the party all set to come back to power for a historic third term, defying exit polls predictions. On the other hand, the Congress-National Conference alliance has taken a commanding lead in Jammu and Kashmir, where a photo finish was predicted by most exit polls.
There are 90 Assembly seats up for grabs in Haryana, making 46 the magic number. After a brisk start that saw it briefly cross the halfway mark, the Congress is now leading in 35 seats. On the other hand, the BJP is leading in 49 seats. Both parties also bagged a seat each.
No party has won a third consecutive term in Haryana since its inception in 1966. Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), once a powerhouse in Haryana, is ahead in two seats, while the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which aligned with the BJP in 2019, is yet to open its account.
Catch Live Updates: Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election results
In Jammu and Kashmir, where elections to the 90-member Assembly were held for the first time in a decade, the Congress-NC combine crossed the halfway mark with four wins and leads in 43 seats, while the BJP secured six seats and is up in 23 seats. Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bagged one seat and is ahead in three. Independents are leading in eight seats.
The possibility of a hung assembly in the Union Territory has opposition parties apprehensive that the five Lieutenant Governor-nominated MLAs could play a decisive role in government formation.
In Haryana, the ruling BJP and Congress were locked in a see-saw contest after vote counting began at 8 a.m. Early trends showed Congress leading, but the BJP quickly gained ground as the count progressed.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is leading in Ladwa, while Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda secured an unassailable lead of 56,381 votes in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi. Meanwhile, BJP leader Anil Vij and JJP chief Dushyant Chautala are trailing in Ambala Cantt and Uchana Kalan, respectively.
Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat is in a close contest in Julana, holding a narrow lead over BJP’s Yogesh Kumar. Phogat, who was nominated by the Congress after her disappointment at the Paris Olympics, is vying for her first political victory.
Congress opened its account in Haryana with a victory in Nuh, where its candidate Aftab Ahmed secured 91,833 votes to defeat his nearest rival, Tahir Hussain of the INLD, by a handsome margin of 46,963 votes.
Staring at defeat in Haryana, the Congress lodged a complaint with the Election Commission alleging "inordinate and unacceptable delay in updating trends" on its website.
"Like the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana we are again witnessing slowing down of uploading up-to-date trends on the ECI website. Is the BJP trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends?" tweeted Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
NC leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who contested from Ganderbal and Budgam, is leading in both constituencies. BJP's state unit chief Ravinder Raina is ahead in Nowshera, while NC's Sajad Gani Lone is trailing from Kupwara.
BJP's Darshan Kumar won the Basohli seat with 31,874 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Congress candidate and former Jammu and Kashmir minister Chaudhary Lal Singh by 16,034 votes. NC candidate Nazir Ahmed Khan won by a margin of 1,132 votes in Gurez.
The Farooq Abdullah-led NC is leading in 43 seats, while ally Congress is ahead in seven seats, trends show. With the NC ahead of its rivals, party vice president Omar Abdullah said there should be no "fiddling" with the mandate of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
With the NC-Congress a done deal in Jammu and Kashmir, celebrations erupted at the Congress office in Srinagar. Workers distributed sweets and raised slogans of ‘Long live Congress party’.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti, conceded in Srigufwara-Bijbehara. "I accept the verdict of the people. The love & affection I received from everyone in Bijbehara will always stay with me. Gratitude to my PDP workers who worked so hard throughout this campaign," she said.
Published By:
Rishabh Sharma
Published On:
Oct 8, 2024
