New Delhi: The counting of votes for the 70 seats in Uttarakhand assembly elections 2017 began at 8am. The Election Commission’s data shows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in the majority of constituencies.
The assembly polls are being seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and his reforms agenda, particulary demonetisation.
Exit poll results on Thursday predicted victory for BJP in Uttarakhand with the saffron party unseating Congress chief minister Harish Rawat. A party needs to win 36 seats to be in majority in the 70-member assembly.
Track Uttarakhand assembly election results
The Election Commission (EC) has set up 15 counting centres in Uttarakhand. The EC has issued strict guidelines on security arrangements for counting of votes and has prohibited mobile phones inside the counting halls. A three-tier security perimeter has been created at the counting centres.
The election results will also be available on the Election Commission website eci.nic.in.
Track Assembly Election Results 2017
For the incumbent Congress, the election offered a chance to hang on to one of its few remaining holds in the north, but ever since Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh 16 years ago, no party has won consecutive terms in the state.
The 2017 election has also seen defections from both the Congress led by chief minister Harish Rawat and the BJP, its chief rival in the state, with both parties fielding recently turned candidates.
Here are the latest updates on election results and trends from counting of votes in the Uttarakhand assembly elections 2017:
1.12am: BJP leading in 57 seats, Congress wins one (Pirankaliyar) and is leading in 10. Independents lead in three.
1.07am: Chief minister Harish Rawat lost in the Hardwar Rural constituency. The Congress leader is also contesting from Kichha, where he is trailing the BJP’s Rajesh Shukla by about 1,700 votes. The BJP is leading in 56 seats, the Congress in 10 and others in four, according to Election Commission data.
12.09am: The BJP is leading in 55 seats, with the Congress ahead in 11 and others in four.
11.07am: The BJP is leading in 52 seats, shows Election Commission data, with the Congress ahead in 16 and others in two.
10.59am: Chief minister Harish Rawat of the Congress is trailing the BJP candidates in both the constituencies he is contesting (Hardwar Rural and Kichha), Election Commission data shows.
10.57am: The BJP is leading in 53 seats, according to Election Commission data, with the Congress ahead in 14 and others in two.
10.47am: BJP leading in 48 constituencies, shows Election Commission data, with the Congress ahead in 13 and others in four.
10.22am: BJP leading in 48 constituencies, shows Election Commission data. The Congress is leading 10 and others in four.
10.02am: BJP leading in 42 seats, Election Commission data shows. Congress leads in nine seats, others in one.
9.55am: Election Commission data shows BJP leading in 39 seats, Congress in seven and others in two.
9.44am: BJP leading in 51 constituencies, Congress in 11 and others in four. (India Today TV)
9.33am: BJP leads in 48 constituencies, Congress in 12 and others in two. (CNN News 18)
9.22am: BJP leading in 44 constituencies, Congress in five and BSP in three. (India Today TV)
9.13am: Chief minister Harish Rawat of the Congress is trailing behind the BJP candidates in both the constituencies he is contesting (Hardwar Rural and Kichha). (NDTV)
9.09am: BJP leading in 31 constituencies, Congress in nine and others in two. (CNN News 18)
9.01am: BJP leads in 12 constituencies, Congress in four. (India Today TV)
8.58am: BJP leads in seven constituencies, Congress in three. (NDTV)
8.57am: Chief minister Harish Rawat was trailing behind the BJP’s Yatishwar Anand in the Hardwar Rural constituency. (NDTV)
8.50am: Early trends show the BJP leading in six seats and the Congress in two. (CNN News 18)
