Chandigarh: The ruling BJP has crossed the majority mark in the Haryana assembly and was leading on 49 seats, while the Congress was ahead on 35, according to the latest trends available on the Election Commission website.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda were ahead in their seats. However, INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and JJP’s Dushyant Chautala were trailing from their seats.
Congress’ Vinesh Phogat was trailing from the Julana seat in Jind district where BJP’s Yogesh Kumar was ahead by 3,641 votes.
The two parties have been engaged in a sea-saw battle in the state after the counting of votes began at 8 am. The early trends available on TV channels showed the Congress ahead of the BJP, but the ruling made rapid strides later.
According to EC trends available at 10.55 am, the BJP was leading in 49 seats and the Congress on 35.
Independents were leading on four seats while INLD and BSP were ahead on one seat each. The Aam Aadmi Party is yet to get off the mark.
Chief Minister Saini, who is contesting from Ladwa in Kurukshetra, was ahead by a margin of 3,070 votes over his Congress rival and sitting MLA Mewa Singh.
Congress leader Hooda, who is seeking a reelection from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, was leading by a margin of 22,182 over the BJP’s Manju Hooda.
Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala was trailing the Congress’ Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 4,999 votes. However, Abhay’s son and INLD candidate Arjun Chautala was leading from the Rania seat over his grand uncle and Independent candidate Ranjit Chautala by a margin of 4,997 votes.
From the Uchana Kalan seat, Congress’ Brijendra Singh was leading over his nearest BJP rival Devinder Attri by a margin of 3,177 votes, while sitting MLA and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala was trailing.
Among the Independents, Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP MP from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal, was leading from Hisar seat over her nearest rival Ram Niwas Rara of the Congress.
From Ambala Cantt, senior BJP leader and former Minister Anil Vij was trailing to Independent candidate Chitra Sarwara by a margin of 1,199 votes.
While the BJP is looking to ride to power for a third consecutive term, the Congress is eyeing a comeback in Haryana after 10 years.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections began at 8 am. Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said three-tier security arrangements have been put in place at counting venues.
Agarwal had Monday said the postal ballots will be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Several exit polls have predicted a Congress victory in Haryana which recorded a voter turnout of 67.90 per cent. However, the BJP has claimed it will return to power for a third consecutive term.
The key parties and alliances in the fray are the BJP, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party. However, most seats will see a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress.
A total of 1,031 candidates, including 464 Independents and 101 women, are in the fray on Haryana’s 90 constituencies which voted in a single phase on October 5.
