New Delhi | A blame game began in the Congress on Tuesday after it failed in its bid to come back to power in Haryana after 10 years, with senior party leader Kumari Selja saying the party high command should assess all reasons that led to the disappointing result and identify the people responsible.
The BJP was poised to form the government for a third straight time, bucking anti-incumbency and overcoming the setback in Lok Sabha polls when its tally dropped from 10 in 2019 to five seats.
The knives were out in the Congress even before the declaration of final results, as party veteran Kumari Selja, who had been sulking during the election which was effectively led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said that "it will not be business as usual" and called for introspection.
"The Haryana poll results are disappointing and I am pained at the disappointment of the Congress workers in the state who have worked very hard and were looking forward to forming their government after 10 years.
"It will not be business as usual in Haryana and I am sure the Congress high command would identify those who negated the efforts to bring the party to power after 10 years," she told reporters.
The Sirsa Lok Sabha MP and former union minister said she was sure that the Congress high command would go into all aspects that led to such results and would identify the reasons and those responsible for bringing such results.
"I'm sure the party will look into all aspects that led to such results in Haryana," Selja said.
She referred to factors affecting the organisation like taking everyone along and ensuring coordination among all the leaders in the state.
New Delhi | Alleging a conspiracy, the Congress on Tuesday said it would not accept the Haryana Assembly poll result as it raises “serious questions” about the integrity of the instruments of the democratic system.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Haryana result is a victory of manipulations, and subverting the will of people. He also alleged that it is a defeat of the transparent and democratic processes.
Ramesh claimed there were “serious issues” with the counting process and the functioning of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in around 14 constituencies and that Congress would take up the matter with the Election Commission soon.
"Results in Haryana are totally unexpected and surprising. They go against ground reality and the sentiment of the people which was for change,” Ramesh said at a press conference with Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.
"Under these circumstances, it is not possible for us to accept these results (in Haryana)... there are serious issues raised by our candidates which we will raise with the EC,” Ramesh said.
“Victory has been snatched from us in Haryana... the results are against the sentiment of the people which was for change. The Congress has been made to lose in Haryana and the chapter is not closed," Ramesh said.
On the Jammu and Kashmir results, Ramesh said the people have defeated the “mischievous designs” of the BJP to muster a majority somehow.
"People have given a befitting reply to those who trampled upon J-K's respect by taking away its statehood. The NC-Congress government will make all efforts for the restoration of J-K's statehood," Ramesh said.
Chandigarh | Senior BJP leader Anil Vij won the Ambala Cantt seat in Haryana, as per the Election Commission.
The former home minister, defeated Independent candidate Chitra Sarwara by a margin of 7,277 votes.
Vij has won the Ambala Cantt assembly seat for the seventh time.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | The ruling BJP has won 31 seats while the Congress secured victory in 30 assembly segments out of total 90 constituencies in Haryana, according to the results declared by the Election Commission.
Two independents have also won.
The BJP was leading in 18 seats and the Congress in 6. The Indian National Lok Dal was leading in two constituencies and one Independent candidate was also leading, the EC figures at 5 pm showed.
Prominent among candidates who won their respective constituencies included Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress's Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vinesh Phogat, Aditya Surjewala and Mamman Khan and Independent candidate Savitri Jindal.
Among the losers included Haryana speaker and BJP's Gian Chand Gupta, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala, Haryana Lokhit Party Gopal Kanda and BJP leader O P Dhankar.
Haryana went to polls on October 5.
Chandigarh | The ruling BJP was all set to retain power in Haryana, leading in 49 seats and halting a Congress comeback in the state after a decade, according to the latest trends available on the Election Commission website.
The Congress was ahead in 36 seats, Independents in 3 and the INLD in 2 seats, the trends showed.
Among prominent candidates, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Independent candidate Savitri Jindal won while INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala lost and JJP's Dushyant Chautala was trailing, according to the trends available at 4.15 pm.
Among other losers included Haryana assembly speaker and BJP's Gian Chand Gupta, Haryana Lokhit Party Gopal Kanda and BJP leader O P Dhankar.
From Julana seat, Congress's Vinesh Phogat registered a victory defeating her nearest BJP rival Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes.
The Aam Aadmi Party has drawn a blank.
The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security. Several exit polls had predicted a comfortable victory for the Congress in Haryana but the BJP consolidated as the counting progressed.
As the BJP is all set to retain power for a third consecutive term, party workers and leaders were a jubilant lot, in a sharp contrast to the mood in the Congress camp, where celebrations began early but the scene changed as the saffron party surged ahead.
The BJP, which rode to power in Haryana for the first time on its own strength in 2014, had then won 47 of the 90 seats. Manohar Lal Khattar, a first-time MLA, was picked up as the CM face by the party then.
In the outgoing assembly, the BJP has 41 MLAs (including the Adampur seat won in 2022 bypoll), the Congress has 28 MLAs, the JJP (6), while the Haryana Lokhit Party and Indian National Lok Dal have one member each.
There are four Independents, while nine seats are vacant.
Chief Minister Saini won the Ladwa assembly seat by a margin of more than 16,000 votes defeating his nearest Congress rival while Hooda retained his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district.
Savitri Jindal, who contested as an Independent after failing to get BJP's nomination, won the Hisar seat.
According to the latest EC trends, Congress' Brijendra Singh was leading over his nearest BJP rival Devinder Attri, while sitting MLA and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala was trailing.
Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala, the sitting MLA from Ellenabad, lost to Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 15,000 votes.
However, his son and INLD candidate Arjun Chautala was leading from the Rania seat over his granduncle and Independent candidate Ranjit Chautala.
In Ateli, BJP's Arti Singh Rao, daughter of Union Minister and BJP MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh, was leading.
Among BJP's other winners are Rao Narbir Singh (Badshahpur), Ranbir Gangwa (Barwala), Vipul Goel (Faridabad), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Mukesh Sharma (Gurgaon), Krishan Lal Panwar (Israna), Shakti Rani Sharma (Kalka), Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur), Satpal Jamba (Pundri), Nikhil Madaan (Sonipat), Arvind Kumar Sharma (Gohana), Krishan Lal Middha (Jind), Ghanshyam Saraf (Bhiwani), Bimla Chaudhary (Pataudi), Gaurav Gautam (Palwal) and Satish Kumar (Faridabad NIT).
The BJP candidates who were leading included Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Jagmohan Anand (Karnal),Tejpal Tanwar (Sohna) and Mool Chand Sharma (Ballabgarh) Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said three-tier security arrangements were put in place at counting venues. Postal ballots were counted first, followed by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
A total of 1,031 candidates, including 464 Independents and 101 women, are in the fray. Voting took place in a single phase on October 5.
Chandigarh | From emerging as a kingmaker in the 2019 Haryana Assembly polls to facing a potential wipeout five years later, the Jannayak Janta Party has witnessed a dramatic fall in its electoral fortune after its alliance with the BJP ended in March.
Party leader and former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala is set to face a humiliating defeat in the polls as he trails in the fifth spot in the Uchana Kalan Assembly segment -- a seat that he won in 2019.
In 2019, the JJP won 10 of the 90 assembly seats, but it emerged as a kingmaker and forged a post-poll alliance with the BJP, which had fallen six short of a simple majority after winning 40 seats.
The Ajay Singh Chautala-led party, which was born after a vertical split in the parent outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in December 2018 owing to a family feud, saw a sudden rise in its graph and abrupt decline once its alliance with the BJP ended in March this year.
The alliance fell apart after the BJP effected a change in its leadership, replacing Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister with Nayab Singh Saini.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the JJP fielded candidates on all 10 seats but could not win even one. The JJP candidates faced severe drubbing, losing their security deposits.
After its state unit chief Nishan Singh quit the party, seven of its 10 legislators switched over to either the Congress or the BJP.
Even a pre-poll alliance with the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) to target Dalit voters in Haryana seems to not have reaped dividends for the JJP.
After its tie-up with the BJP in 2019, Chautala had to do the balancing act to ensure the smooth running of the government as his support base was against the saffron party.
Chautala, 36, the great-grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, had last month predicted that no single party would be able to cross the 40-seat mark in the assembly elections.
"No single party can form a government on its own. There are chances that nobody crosses the 40-seat mark. So, there will be parties with numbers and some Independents too who will win," former deputy chief minister Chautala told PTI then.
In 2017, as the country's youngest MP then, Chautala had attracted eyeballs when he reached Parliament to attend the winter session riding a green-coloured tractor to protest tweaking of certain rules relating to the Motor Vehicles Act which, he had claimed, would add to farmers' woes.
At that time, Chautala was a Hisar MP from the INLD before its vertical split in 2018 leading to the formation of the JJP.
During the farmers' agitation against the now repealed farm laws, Chautala came under intense pressure from various quarters, including the Congress, which demanded his party withdraw support to the "anti-farmer" BJP.
Chautala, however, made it clear that the Centre should talk to the farmers and resolve the issue.
Pained at Cong workers' disappointment, I'm sure party high command will assess reasons for defeat: Kumari Selja on Haryana poll results.
High command should work out plan to help revive party in Haryana, identify those responsible for such results: Congress leader Kumari Selja.
Chandigarh | Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala lost from the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana, according to the Election Commission.
Chautala, the outgoing MLA, was defeated by Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 15,000 votes.
The counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini won Ladwa assembly seat on Tuesday by a margin of 16,054 votes against his nearest Congress rival Mewa Singh, according to the Election Commission.
The BJP is in the lead in 50 of the 90 seats in Haryana while the Congress is ahead in 35.
Haryana went to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes is underway.
Previously, Saini was the MP from Kurukshetra, the parliamentary constituency in which Ladwa falls.
New Delhi | People have given a mandate to the BJP in Haryana for a third consecutive term on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's policies, achievements and way of functioning, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday.
The former Haryana chief minister's remarks came after the BJP appeared poised to win the state assembly polls with the party leading in around 50 seats out of 90, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission's website.
“People have sent out a message. The Modi government's policies, achievements and way of functioning were leaving an impact on the people. Responding to this, people have given the mandate to the BJP for a third consecutive term,” Khattar told reporters here.
After an over nine-year stint, the veteran BJP leader was removed as Haryana chief minister and replaced by Nayab Singh Saini in March this year ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
It is for the first time that any party is going to form its government in Haryana for a third time, Khattar added.
Earlier in the day, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the BJP's in-charge for Haryana, and other leaders met Khattar at his residence here.
Chandigarh | Independent candidate Savitri Jindal won the Hisar assembly seat in Haryana, according to the Election Commission.
Jindal, who is the mother of BJP's Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, defeated her nearest rival and Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rana by a margin of 18,941 votes.
Jindal polled 49,231 votes while the Congress candidate secured 30,290 votes.
BJP candidate and outgoing MLA Kamal Gupta was at the third spot with 17,385 votes.
Forbes India listed Savitri Jindal as the richest woman in the country this year having a net worth of USD 29.1 billion.
Counting of votes polled for the 90 seats in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday retained his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district, defeating his nearest BJP rival.
77-year-old Hooda won by a convincing margin of 71,465 votes defeating BJP's Manju Hooda.
However, Hooda's party Congress, which was eyeing to make a comeback in Haryana after a 10-year gap, was trailing with BJP ahead in 50 of the 90 seats.
Congress was ahead in 35 seats, according to the latest Election Commission trends.
Haryana went to polls on October 8, while counting of votes was taken up on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | Olympic wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday won her maiden election, defeating her nearest BJP rival Yogesh Kumar from Julana assembly seat in Haryana, according to the Election Commission.
Phogat defeated Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 Haryana elections began at 8 am on Tuesday.
New Delhi | With the BJP racing ahead in Haryana as per the early trends, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the "biggest lesson" of the poll results is that one should never be "overconfident" in the elections.
The BJP looks forward to a comfortable win in Haryana, leading in 50 of the 90 assembly seats.
"Let us see what the results are in Haryana. The biggest lesson of this is that one should never be overconfident in the elections," said Kejriwal addressing a gathering of the AAP municipal councillors.
"No election should be taken lightly. Each election and each seat is tough," he added.
The AAP failed to reach a pre-poll alliance in Haryana with the Congress due to disagreement over number of seats to be contested by it.
It independently contested 89 of the total 90 seats in the state after its demand for being given 9 seats was turned down by the Congress.
The AAP candidates were trailing on almost all the seats behind their BJP and Congress opponents.
Kejriwal had earlier during the poll campaign in Haryana asserted that no government would be formed in the state without the AAP's support.
He asked the party councillors to work hard for the Delhi Assembly polls due in February next year and ensure that the garbage was properly collected and disposed of from their wards.
"You will have the most important role in this (Delhi) election. We will win the elections just if you ensure there is proper garbage collection and disposal from your areas which is a very basic thing," said the former Delhi chief minister.
Chandigarh | Congress candidate Aftab Ahmed won the Nuh assembly seat in Haryana on Tuesday, defeating his nearest rival and Indian National Lok Dal nominee Tahir Hussain. according to the Election Commission.
Ahmed, who was the outgoing MLA from Nuh, defeated Hussain by a margin of 46,963 votes.
The BJP's Sanjay Singh was at the third spot.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
New Delhi | The Congress on Tuesday raised with the Election Commission the issue of an "unexplained slowdown" in updating of results of Haryana elections on the poll watchdog's website and urged it to direct officials to update accurate figures so that "false news and malicious narratives" can be countered immediately.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that over the last two hours between 9 and 11 am there has been an "unexplained slowdown" in updating of results on the ECI's website.
"As you can imagine this allows bad faith actors to spin narratives that undermine the process. You can see examples of it already playing out on social media," Ramesh said in his letter.
"Our fear is also that such narratives can then be used by these mala fide actors to influence processes where counting is still underway i.e. in most of the counting centres," he said.
"We request you to issue immediate directions to your officials to update the website with true and accurate figures so that false news and malicious narratives can be countered immediately," Ramesh said.
Earlier, in a post on X, Ramesh said, "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 administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends @ECISVEEP?" Ramesh said.
Latest trends uploaded by the Election Commission showed that the BJP was ahead in 49 seats while the Congress in 35.
The majority mark for the 90-member assembly is 46.
Slowdown in updating results allows bad faith actors to spin narratives that undermine process: Jairam Ramesh to ECI on Haryana polls.
Issue directions to update website with accurate figures on Haryana polls so that malicious narratives are countered: Cong to ECI.
New Delhi | The Congress on Tuesday alleged that there was a slowing down in uploading trends for the Haryana polls on the Election Commission website.
The opposition party also asked whether the BJP is trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing "outdated" and "misleading" trends.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "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 administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends @ECISVEEP?" Ramesh said.
Latest trends uploaded by the Election Commission showed that the BJP was ahead in 49 seats while the Congress in 35.
The majority mark for the 90-member assembly is 46.
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.
New Delhi | The ruling BJP edged past the Congress in Haryana while the National Conference-Congress alliance was headed for a majority in Jammu and Kashmir, according to trends on the Election Commission website on Tuesday.
As votes were counted for assembly elections held last month, it was a mixed bag for the Congress and the BJP - the saffron party headed for defeat in Jammu and Kashmir but bucked early morning trends to move ahead of the Congress in the nail biting Haryana contest. If the trends hold, the Congress may well have to settle for a loss in the heartland state and a ‘second partner win' in the union territory.
The BJP, hoping for a third consecutive term in Haryana, was ahead in 47 of the 90 seats in Haryana, two over the halfway mark. The Congress, which had surged ahead in morning leads, was leading in 36 seats.
As the vote count oscillated between the ruling and the opposition parties, the vote share was also tantalisingly close at 11 am, three hours after counting began. The BJP was at 38.7 per cent and the Congress a little more at 40.5 per cent.
“The Congress will get a majority. Congress will form government in Haryana,” veteran Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda told reporters in Rohtak.
“The credit will go to Rahul Gandhi ji, Mallikarjun Kharge ji, Priyanka Gandhi ji, and other leaders," he said, adding that the real credit goes to the people of Haryana. Kumari Selja, his party colleague and a rival for the chief ministerial post should the Congress win Haryana, was also sure her party would emerge victorious.
“Hold your horses. Congress will form a government with overwhelming majority,” she said.
The BJP was equally confident.
“We are pretty confident we will win Haryana with a good margin and form government for a third time,” party leader Harish Khurana told NDTV.
Jammu and Kashmir, where assembly elections are being held for the first time since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and the state bifurcated into union territories, looked set to throw up a decisive verdict.
Chandigarh | Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat is trailing from Julana assembly seat in Haryana's Jind district, losing her initial lead, according to the Election Commission website.
Phogat was trailing behind her BJP rival Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 3,641 votes.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 Haryana elections began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday asserted that his party is going to form the government on its own in Haryana, where trends showed the BJP crossing the halfway mark.
Speaking to reporters in Rohtak, former chief minister Hooda said the Congress "will get a majority".
Asked whether his party will require any support for forming the government, he reiterated that the Congress will form the government on its own.
"The credit will go to Rahul Gandhi ji, Mallikarjun Kharge ji, Priyanka Gandhi ji, and other leaders," he said Real credit goes to the people of Haryana, he further added.
According to the latest trends on the Election Commission website, BJP was ahead on 49 seats, more than the majority mark in the 90-member Assembly, while Congress was leading in 35 seats, Independents in 5, BSP and INLD was ahead in one seat each.
Chandigarh | JJP leader Dushyant Chautala is trailing from the Uchana Kalan assembly seat in Haryana, according to Election Commission of India trends.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chautala, a former deputy chief minister of Haryana, was at the fifth spot, the trends showed around 10.30 am.
Congress candidate Brijendra Singh was leading by a margin of 1,362 votes from his nearest rival and BJP candidate Devender Chatar Bhuj Attri.
Chandigarh | The ruling BJP has crossed the halfway mark of 45 in the Haryana assembly polls and was leading on 48 seats now, while the Congress was ahead on 33, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission website.
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 10.20 am, the BJP was leading in 48 seats and the Congress on 34.
The majority mark for the 90-member assembly is 46.
Chandigarh | Independent candidate Savitri Jindal is leading from the Hisar assembly seat in Haryana, according to Election Commission trends.
Jindal, who is the mother of BJP's Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, is leading by a margin of 3,836 votes from Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rara. BJP candidate and outgoing MLA Kamal Gupta was at the third spot.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | The ruling BJP and the Congress were engaged in a sea-saw battle in Haryana on Tuesday as the Election Commission website showed the saffron party was just ahead of the Congress after about two hours of counting of votes on Tuesday.
According to EC trends available at 10 am, the BJP was leading in 43 seats and the Congress on 34, the first time the ruling party overtook the Congress after counting began at 8 am.
The counting of votes for all the 90 assembly seats began at 93 centres in 22 districts of the state amid tight security.
While the BJP is looking to retain power for a third consecutive term, the Congress is eyeing a comeback in Haryana after 10 years.
According to the latest EC trends, INLD and Independents were ahead on one seat each.
Earlier trends on the ECI website showed the Congress was leading on 18 seats while the BJP was ahead on 14 seats.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was leading in Ladwa in Kurukshetra district by a margin of 732 votes.
As per the early trends shown by Election Commission website, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was leading from his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district by a margin of 11,099.
Congress' Vinesh Phogat was leading from Julana seat in Jind by a margin of 214 votes.
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.
Chandigarh | After trailing the Congress in Haryana in early trends, the BJP has covered some ground, with official figures showing it is now leading on 31 seats, but the grand old party is still ahead with 38.
The counting of votes began at 8 am and early trends available on TV channels showed the Congress was way ahead of the BJP after about one-and-a-half hours of counting.
But as the counting progressed, the Election Commission trends showed the BJP made rapid progress and was leading in 31 seats, while the Congress was ahead on 38.
However, these are early trends and the actual situation would become clear as more votes are counted.
Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said three-tier security arrangements have been put in place at counting venues.
According to the Election Commission website, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was leading from his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district by a margin of 5,082 votes.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was leading in Ladwa in Kurukshetra district, early trends on TV channels showed.
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.
Chandigarh | Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda is leading from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Haryana, according to early trends.
Hooda, the former chief minister of Haryana, is leading by a margin of 5,082 votes, the Election Commission trends showed.
Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday.
Chandigarh | The counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 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.
Chandigarh | Counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday, with early trends showing the Congress slightly ahead of the ruling BJP.
While some reports from the counting of postal ballots showed the Congress ahead on 26 seats and the BJP 21.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was leading from his Ladwa seta in Kurukshetra district, while Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda was ahead of his rivals in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency in Rohtak district.
Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said three-tier security arrangements were in place at counting venues.
He said a day earlier that postal ballots will be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) beginning 30 minutes later.
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.
New Delhi | Early trends from counting of votes on Tuesday showed the Congress ahead in Haryana, and in a tight contest with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress was ahead on 24 seats, and the BJP on 19 in Haryana, with early postal ballot trends showing two seats in favour of 'others'.
In Jammu and Kashmir the Congress-National Conference alliance was tied at eight seats with the BJP, while the PDP was yet to lead in any seat, according to TV channels.
The counting of votes began at 8 am with postal ballots being opened first. The counting of votes polled through EVMs will start half an hour later.
These are early trends and the final results may vary widely.
Chandigarh | The counting of votes polled in the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana began at 8 am on Tuesday amid tight security arrangements.
Officials said early trends were expected at some time.
Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said three-tier security arrangements were in place at counting venues, Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after 30 minutes, he said.
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 in Haryana.
The key parties 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.
Two counting centres each have been set up for the Badshahpur, Gurugram, and Pataudi assembly constituencies, while one counting centre each has been established for the remaining 87 assembly constituencies, where the counting began.
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 that a sufficient number of police officers were deployed at every counting centre.
CCTV cameras have been installed from the main gate to the entire premises of the counting centres, ensuring surveillance of every activity, Kapur said.
Male and female police officers have been deployed for frisking individuals entering the premises and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) are on standby to maintain law and order, Kapur said.
Agarwal said a total of 30 companies of Central Armed Police Forces were deployed at 93 counting centres.
Around 12,000 police personnel are on duty at the counting centres across the state, he said.
Agarwal said instructions were given to closely monitor social media to prevent the spread of any rumours related to the counting process.
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).
From the Tosham seat, former MP Shruti Choudhry of BJP and Anirudh Chaudhary, both cousins, are contesting.
From Kaithal, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's son Aditya is contesting while from Dabwali, Devi Lal's grandson Aditya Devi Lal, an INLD candidate, is taking on JJP's Digvijay Singh Chautala, great-grandson of the former deputy prime minister.
The BJP has fielded former chief minister late Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi from the Adampur segment of Hisar while its nominee from Ateli in Mahendragarh is Arti Rao, whose father Rao Inderjit Singh is a Union minister.
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, 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.