The BJP is all set to wrest power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh as it won 9 seats and was leading in 35 others while the ruling party bagged 6 seats and was leading in 15.
The CPI(M) won the Theog seat while Independents are leading in three seats.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is leading from Arki while his son Vikramaditya Singh won from Shimla(Rural).
Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Himachal Pradesh, was trailing behind Congress's Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur.
Out of eight ministers in the fray, three have lost while three others are trailing. Two ministers are leading.
Senior-most minister Kaul Singh lost the polls from Drang and while his daughter Champa Thakur suffered defeat at the hands of BJP's Anil Sharma from Mandi.
LIVE:
15:48- BJP wins 9 seats, leading in 35 seats while Congress wins 6 seats and leading in 15.
12:10- Dhumal trails by 2161 votes to Rajinder Rana (Congress) in Sujanpur constituency
11:43: Dhumal trails by 1371 votes, Congress candidate Rajinder Rana leading with 10403 votes in Sujanpur constituency.
11:23- Congress wins Kasumpti seat in Himachal Pradesh with its candidate Anirudh Singh defeating BJP's Vijay Jyoti by a margin of 9,397 votes.
10:59- BJP leading in 41 seats, Congress ahead in 24, Others- 5.
10:17- BJP's CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal trailing by 1709 votes from Sujanpur.
10:15- BJP leading in 39 seats, Congress in 23.
9:55- Virbhadra Singh leading by 1162 votes in Arki.
9:49- BJP Leading In 43 Seats, Congress In 21. Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya leading by 1316 votes in Shimla Rural.
9:34- BJP's CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal trailing by 540 votes from Sujanpur.
9:26- BJP now leading in 34 seats, Congress in 19, while others are leading in 3.
8:56- BJP leading in 14 seats while Congress is leading in 5 seats.
8:45-BJP leading in 11 seats, 2 for Congress.
8:41- BJP leading in 6 seats, 2 for Congress.
8:33-BJP leading in 3 seats while Congress has 1 seat.
8:30-Both BJP and Congress have 1 seats each.
As many as 50,25,941 voters were eligible to cast their votes and 37,605 polling personnel were deployed at 7,525 polling booths. 983 polling stations were declared vulnerable and 399 critical to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
Both - the ruling Congress Party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - are confident of their victory.
Congress leader and six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is fighting against former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to be the next head of the state. In 2012, the Congress Party defeated the BJP and won an outright majority by winning 36 of the 68 seats under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh thus proving most of the pollsters and exit polls wrong, which had predicted a photo-finish.
The polling had recorded 74.61 per cent voter turnout, the highest-ever in the state. However, the exit polls had suggested a change of political guard in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. (ANI)