Haryana, J&K results: Counting of Haryana, J&K votes today, big test for BJP, Congress: 10 points

Election polls have predicted a Congress victory in Haryana and a split verdict in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with the National Conference-Congress alliance ahead. However, exit polls are often wrong.

After initially having a lead in Haryana, the Congress has now fallen behind the BJP. (by 10 o'clock). In Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress-NC alliance is ahead with 50 out of 90 seats. Several rounds of counting are still pending.

The BJP is hoping for a third consecutive term in Haryana as the Jats and the farming community are seen as massive opposition and discontent.

Traditionally, the BJP had its support base among the non-Jat groups, but this time its loyalties are said to have shifted. The party, which had earlier maintained an alliance with a local party that enjoys strong support among Jats, contested alone this time after parting ways with Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

The BJP also hopes to benefit from the fruits of peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir over the last five years, as well as its promise of restoring statehood.

The elections in Jammu and Kashmir came after a decade of much of the president's rule. The special status granted in the constitution was abolished and the state was divided into two union territories in 2019.

While the delimitation leveled the ground to some extent for the BJP, with the Jammu region having 43 seats as against 47 seats in Kashmir, parties in the Valley claim that the LG's power to nominate five MPs could give the BJP an edge.

After the Delimitation Commission increased the number of seats in the Union Territory, a new ruling granted the LG the power to nominate five members – two women, two Kashmiri Pandits and a displaced person from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir – to the Legislative Assembly, making the Total number increased The number of seats is increased to 95. This would effectively increase the majority number to 48 instead of 46.

“Any such move is an attack on democracy, the mandate of the people and the fundamental principles of the Constitution,” said Ravinder Sharma, senior vice-president and chief spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee.

The National Conference has said it would approach the Supreme Court if such an event were to take place. PDP leader Iltija Mufti said granting the deputy governor the power to nominate five members to the assembly was a “brazen pre-election rigging”.