Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini with former CM Manohar Lal Khattar (L) and Congress' Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Credit: PTI File Photos
Chandigarh:The counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8:00 am on Tuesday, with early trends on TV channels showing the Congress ahead of the BJP.
Some reports showed the Congress past the majority mark of 45 in the 90-member assembly. But these are early trends and the actual situation would become clear as more votes are counted.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was leading in Ladwa in Kurukshetra district, while Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda was ahead of his rivals in the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district.
BJP leader Anil Vij was leading from his Ambala Cantt seat. Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala was leading from his Ellenabad constituency, according to early trends.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's son Aditya Surjewala was leading from Kaithal seat.
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.
Agarwal on Monday said 93 counting centres were set up for 90 assembly constituencies in 22 districts of the state. To monitor the counting process, 90 observers also have been appointed by the Election Commission of India.
Director General of Haryana Police Shatrujeet Kapur said comprehensive security arrangements were in place for the counting.
He said a sufficient number of police officers were deployed at every counting centre.
Prominent among those in the fray are Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (Ladwa), Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), INLD's Abhay Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP's Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan), BJP's Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Capt Abhimanyu (Narnaund), O.P. Dhankar (Badli), AAP's Anurag Dhanda (Kalayat) and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat (Julana).
Among the Independents are Savitri Jindal (Hisar), Ranjit Chautala (Rania) and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantt).
Taking on Dushyant from Uchana is Congress' Brijendra Singh, son of former Union minister Birender Singh.
A few rebels from both Congress and BJP have also entered the fray. In 2019, the BJP formed the government with the support of JJP while most Independents also extended support.
However, the JJP's post-poll tie-up with the BJP ended in March after the saffron party replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as the chief minister.
Haryana Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here
J&K Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here
Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.