Counting of votes progresses; BJP leading in 98 seats, Congress+ in 81 seats

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared set to win the assembly elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat on Monday, trends showed, but with a reduced margin. Results have been declared in 70 constituencies, with the BJP winning 38 of them.

The counting of votes for the 182-seat Gujarat assembly is underway after a two-phase election to pick the new government in Gujarat. The BJP pulled ahead in the vote count after a tight race with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress in early trends.

Map | Gujarat assembly election live results 2017

The results of the Gujarat elections are seen as a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission of India is announcing the results on eciresults.nic.in .

Map | Himachal Pradesh assembly election live results 2017

Seven exit polls said the BJP would retain power in Gujarat, where the saffron party has ruled for almost two decades but was battling an agrarian crisis and protests from its loyal Patidar vote bank.

Here are live updates on the Gujarat election results:

3.12pm: “I express my gratitude to the people of Vadgam for all their support. Now I will raise the voice of Gujarat’s discriminated sections in the assembly,” says Jignesh Mevani.

3.09pm: Amid the BJP’s election victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi have met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

3.04pm: How Phase 2 saved the day for BJP in prestige battle: Full story

2.55pm: “Jo jeeta wohi Sikandar (whoever wins is king). This is the message to those who joked about vikas (development),” says BJP leader and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

2.45pm: Gujarat minister Chimanbhai Sapariya is trailing from Jamjodhpur behind the Congress’ Chiragbhai Kalariya.

2.39pm: Gujarat election result trends right now (leads+wins): BJP: 98; Congress+: 81; Others: 2

2.16pm: Here’s how assembly election results 2017 will boost Narendra Modi’s reforms agenda

2.01pm: “In his opening innings, he scored zero,” says Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

1.53pm: “Undoubtedly, a major victory. The kind of work that party workers have done right from booth workers level till the PM’s level, everybody put their best foot forward and both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have recognised the good work going on in the name of development,” says BJP leader and Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

1.51pm: Celebrations are on at the BJP headquarters, with workers dancing and shouting slogans. Full story .

1.32pm: Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel says the Congress would have “done better” in the Gujarat election if it had formed an alliance with his party.

1.23pm: Election Commission defends EVMs, calls criticism in Gujarat elections unfair. Full story .

1.06pm: Congress leaders say the party’s improved electoral performance in Gujarat is the result of their new chief Rahul Gandhi’s effective leadership, and is the beginning of his political story.

“The Congress’ tally has gone up there (Gujarat), while the BJP’s numbers have fallen. This is the start of Rahul Gandhi’s political story,” says senior Congress leader Kamal Nath.

Renuka Chowdary says: “Congress has done brilliantly. Our strength has increased. Morally, it has been a brilliant intervention of Rahul Gandhi.”

1.02pm: The BJP fends off challenge for Patidar vote from Hardik and Congress, shows Election Commission data. Full story .

12.50pm: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 102; Congress+: 78; Others: 2

12.42pm: “It is a matter of happiness for us, this is the victory of development,” says Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani.

12.39pm: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says the trends emerging from Gujarat are heartening. “The Congress is leading on some 75 seats, which is good. This is twice better than the last elections.

“What if we could not reach the destination, the journey has been good. And the final tally may even be better than this,” Tharoor says outside Parliament.

12.35pm: Shares have recovered after falling more than 2% in early trading on Monday as the BJP appears to win his home state of Gujarat for a sixth term as counting of votes progresses.Full story .

12.33pm: “People have rejected divisive politics of the Congress. This win is due to the dynamic leadership of the BJP and the workers,” says Yogi Adityanath.

12.22pm: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 106; Congress: 74; Others: 2.

12.12pm:

Though the seat share in #GujaratElections2017 should be similar to 2012, the geographic distribution of seats will be quite different. We're seeing anti-incumbency sentiment again @BJP4India in Saurashtra, and against @INCIndia in North/Central Guarat.https://t.co/yta5gaKSA7 pic.twitter.com/2UlpgxcdIj

— Harry Stevens (@Harry_Stevens) December 18, 2017

12.05pm: Independent candidate Jignesh Mevani wins in Vadgam.

11.53am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 105; Congress: 75; Others: 2.

11.43am: The Congress’Arjun Modhwadia loses in Porbandar; BJP’s Dilip Sanghani loses in Dhari.

11.33am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 104; Congress: 76; Others: 2.

11.26am: The BJP’s candidate from Surat’s Katargam, Vinu Moradiya, wins. Patidar leader Hardik Patel’s rallies were earlier reported to be successful in the area.

11.23am: How Narendra Modi played his cards to bring BJP back to power. Full story .

11.14am: The BJP’s Geetaba Jadeja and Jayesh Radadia win their seats.

11am: Independent candidate Jignesh Mevani leading by 10,785 votes in Vadgam.

10.58am: Gujarat election results are seen as a ‘setback’; no fireworks at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Full story .

10.51am: The BJP’s Vijay Rupani wins in Rajkot West.

10.47am:

#WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes victory sign as he arrives at the Parliament. #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/Q4PRNjMpoK

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017

10.45am: Patidar leader Hardik Patel is being seen as one of the big reasons why the Congress gave a better fight than expected in Gujarat. Full story .

10.42am: “We will form governments with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh,” says Rajnath singh

10.31am: “Ultimately, the BJP is going to register a victory. Contrary to early trends, the BJP is leading almost everywhere now,” says Nitinbhai Patel, who is presently trailing by over 2,000 votes.

10.25am: The BJP’s Vijay Rupani is now leading by 18,000 votes.

10.07am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 100; Congress: 80; Others: 2.

10.01am: The Congress’ Shaktisinh Gohil is trailing by 1,355 votes from Kutch’s Mandvi.

10am: All of the Patels leading by the largest margins are from the BJP. Learn this and more from our Gujarat live results map .

9.59am:

An interesting storyline from Gujarat: Races have been getting closer and closer over the years. So far, the median margin of victory in 2017 is EVEN SMALLER than in 2012. In other words, it may be a long day.

This chart will update live through the day!https://t.co/yta5gaKSA7 pic.twitter.com/WwfXDa1lvG

— Harry Stevens (@Harry_Stevens) December 18, 2017

9.52am: Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani is leadings, but senior BJP leaders Nitin Patel and Saurabh Patel are trailing in their constituencies. Get the latest on Gujarat key candidates .

9.51am: The BJP and Congress are locked in a close contest in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state. Full story .

9.50am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 97; Congress: 83; Others: 2.

9.41am: “The mood of the people of Gujarat will lead the Congress to victory. I can’t comment much on initial trends; let the final results come,” says Gujarat party in-charge Ashok Gehlot.

9.37am: The BJP’s Vijay Rupani is leading by 1,800 votes from Rajkot West.

9.25a m: The BJP’s Nitinbhai Patel is trailing by over 3,000 votes from Mahesana. The Congress’ Arjun Modhwadia is trailing by 989 from Porbandar.

9.24am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 86; Congress: 84; Others: 3

9.18am: Sensex is down over 700 points as the early trends in the Gujarat election results are coming in.

9.17am: The BJP and Congress are now tied at 75 seats, according to trends shown by Rajya Sabha TV.

9.13am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 80; Congress: 70; Others: 1

9.05am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 85; Congress: 65; Others: 1.

9.02am: The BJP’s Vijay Rupani is trailing; Congress candidate in Radhanpur, Alpesh Thakor, is leading.

8.56am: Gujarat election result trends right now: BJP: 90; Congress: 58; Others: 1.

8.48am: Meanwhile, votes are also being counted for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly. Follow our live coverage of the Himachal election results .

8.46am: The latest trends show the BJP leading in 84 seats. The Congress is ahead in 52 seats.

8.42am: Shaktisinh Gohil of the Congress is leading in Mandvi.

8.36am: Trends show the BJP is ahead in 65 seats. The Congress is leading in 44 seats.

8.31am: Key candidates:

–Congress leader Alpesh Thakor is trailing in Radhanpur.

–Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia is trailing in Porbandar.

–Jignesh Mewani is leading in Vadgam.

8.30am: The BJP is leading in 45 seats and the Congress is ahead in 27 constituencies.

8.22am: Early trends show the BJP leading in 25 seats and the Congress ahead in 18 seats, according to Rajya Sabha TV.

8.19am: “Questions being raised about EVMs have already been answered by us in the media. VVPATs were there in every polling stations in Gujarat, which enabled voters to see whom they voted for, so issues being raised aren’t right,” says CEC, AK Joti.

8.17am: “I assure you that there can be no tampering with the EVMs,” says Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti.

8.13am: “Tight security arrangements have been made, police personnel adequately stationed across the region,” says Surat police commissioner Satish Kumar Sharma.

8.11am: Initial trends show BJP leading in eight seats. The Congress is ahead in four seats.

8.01am: Counting of votes begins.

7.51am: Here are five factors that may influence the Gujarat election results .

7.30am: In 2012, the BJP won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61. The Congress’ average victory margin stood at 13,577 votes across the 61 seats it won in 2012. Since 1995, the BJP has been in the power in Gujarat.

7am:

Visuals from outside a counting centre set up at Polytechnic College in Vadodara. Heavy security deployed. #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/8pyjBMjz5I

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017

6.53am: A day before the counting of votes, the Election Commission of India withdrew its notice to Rahul Gandhi over his television interviews in the run-up to the second phase of the Gujarat elections. The EC also said it would set up a panel to review its model code of conduct. Full story .

6.47am: Ahead of Monday’s Gujarat election results, both the BJP and Congress are confident of victory. While all exit polls have predicted the BJP’s win, the Congress is hopeful of bagging the Patidar vote and overthrowing the Narendra Modi-led party from 22 years of governance in the state. Full story .

6.35am: The BJP is seeking a sixth straight term in office, while the Congress is aspiring to stage a comeback in power after being in the opposition for over two decades.

6.26am: After a gruelling campaign, India’s two biggest parties — the BJP and Congress — await the outcome of assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Here is what the election results in Gujarat and Himachal will mean for the two parties .

6.14am: As the Election Commission prepares to begin the counting of votes in the Gujarat elections, here is a look at what the exit polls predict for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

6.10am: A total of 977 candidates were in the fray in the first phase of elections, with more than 2.22 lakh people casting their votes. In the second phase, 851 candidates contested.

6.05am: The counting for the two-phase Gujarat assembly elections will begin at 8am and early trends are expected to come by noon.

*Welcome to the Hindustan Times live coverage of the assembly election results for Gujarat. The much-awaited results of the keenly fought elections will be announced today after the counting of votes concludes at 37 centres across Gujarat’s 33 districts.

HT