Election Results 2024 LIVE: Congress crosses the halfway mark in Haryana

Initial trends from vote counting on Tuesday showed the BJP ahead in Haryana and in a tough contest with the Congress-NC alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)

The voter turnout for the 90-seat Haryana Assembly was 67.90 percent. Election polls have predicted a Congress victory, but the BJP remains confident of defying those predictions. Prime Minister Nayab Singh Saini has rejected the election results and insisted his party would return to power with a full majority. “On October 8, we will form the government and Congress will once again blame Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs),” Saini said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a two-time former prime minister and the party's likely candidate for the top job, expressed similar optimism, saying, “A comfortable majority for the Congress is in sight.”

The assembly elections in Haryana largely turned out to be a bipolar contest between the BJP and the Congress, although parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) also put their hats in the ring have thrown. Leaders of these regional parties like JJP's Dushyant Chautala and INLD's Abhay Chautala have each claimed that their alliances are ready to play the role of kingmaker if the election leads to a deadlock in the assembly. Meanwhile, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed that no government could be formed without AAP's support.

Several high-profile competitions were held from Ladwa to Ambala and from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi to Adampur. The key candidates include political heavyweights like CM Saini, Leader of Opposition Hooda and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala. Fierce fighting broke out in the state, including family rivalries, with cousins ​​Shruti Choudhry (BJP) and Anirudh Choudhary pitted against each other in Tosham and Devi Lal's grandson Aditya Devi Lal (INLD) pitted against Digvijay Singh Chautala of the JJP in Dabwali.

The BJP campaigned on good governance, merit-based jobs and welfare schemes for farmers, while the opposition Congress attacked the incumbent government on issues such as unemployment, farmers' plight and inflation. The results will serve as a crucial litmus test for the BJP's model of governance, especially after its leadership change earlier this year when Saini Manohar replaced Lal Khattar as chief minister.

In Jammu and Kashmir, today's counting marks the final step in a historic electoral process as the Union Territory prepares to elect its first government since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. 63.45 percent, a slight decline from the 65.52 percent in the 2014 elections.

According to polls, the Congress-NC alliance is likely to come out on top, with NC expected to win the lion's share of seats. However, the BJP is also expected to improve on its previous tally of 25 seats and the PDP, which won 28 seats in the 2014 elections, is likely to fare significantly worse this time. If necessary, NC chief Farooq Abdullah has already signaled his willingness to join hands with the PDP to form a government even as he has ruled himself out of the race for the chief ministership.

The political drama surrounding the elections in Jammu and Kashmir is not limited to coalition possibilities. A recent move to allow the Lieutenant Governor to nominate members for five reserved seats in the Assembly has sparked controversy. Opposition parties previously accused the BJP of manipulating the election results.

As counting progresses in both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, political leaders, parties and citizens alike are excited about the results that will shape the future of these states. Will the BJP secure a third term in Haryana or will the Congress make a comeback? And in Jammu and Kashmir, will the Congress-NC alliance take the reins or will the BJP spring a surprise? Stay with us as we bring you all the updates, insights and latest news from Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir on this count day.