LIVE Counting updates: The BJP and its ally IPFT were set to end the Left Front's 25-year-rule in Tripura with a strong showing in the Assembly polls, while Meghalaya seemed to be headed for a hung House. In Nagaland, a close finish was on the cards, according to available trends.
The Manik Sarkar government seems to be on its way out in Tripura with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking a giant lead over the CPI (M). In Meghalaya, the Congress is leading, but the BJP is confident of forming the government along with UDP and NPP. Congress has already rushed senior leaders Kamal Nath and Ahmed Patel to Shillong to check horse-trading and hold alliance talks.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the man behind the BJP’s performance in Tripura, said the alliance with IPFT (Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura) was the game changer. Mukul Sangma (INC) wins in Songsak, Cherak Momin (INC) wins Kharkutta.
In Nagaland, the NPF+ seems set to retain power, marching past the BJP-NDPP alliance, whose CM face Neiphiu Rio has already won unopposed from Northern Angami-II.
Securing the North East is more important for BJP than it would appear at present in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. If by-election results in various states are anything to go by, BJP's seats in the core Hindi heartland are set to take a downward revision. Gujarat is a battle, Rajasthan is looking precarious, Madhya Pradesh isn't too promising either. In most of these states where BJP was the dominant force in 2014 and swept everything that came its way, it appears to have saturated.
Counting of votes cast in the Assembly elections in three states in the North East — Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland — began. Heavy security was deployed in Tripura and Meghalaya.
The counting will begin at 8 am and results are expected by the afternoon. Tripura went to the polls on 18 February while elections in Meghalaya and Nagaland were held on 27 February.
In Tripura, two exit polls have suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may dethrone the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM)-led government that has had an uninterrupted run since 1993.
Ahead of Saturday's counting, both the CPM and the BJP claimed that they will form the next government in the state.
CPM Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar said the Left parties were "more than confident" of forming the next government. BJP state President Biplab Kumar Deb said that people of Tripura wanted change and "strongly wished for a BJP government" in the state.
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. PTI
The party had contested 50 seats in the last assembly polls in 2013 and its candidates forfeited their deposits on 49 seats. With 1.87 percent of votes, it failed to win any seat. The CPM had won 49 of the 55 seats it contested while the Congress managed to win 10 out of 48 seats it contested.
Despite large-scale snags in EVMs and VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail), over 92 percent (excluding 50,770 postal ballots) of Tripura's 2,536,589 voters cast their votes in a peaceful election.
Balloting in Charilam has been deferred to 12 March after the death of a CPM candidate.
JanKiBaat-NewsX Exit poll had predicted that the BJP-IPFT alliance in Tripura would win 35-45 seats with a vote share of 51 percent while that by AxisMyIndia had predicted that the alliance will get 44 to 50 seats with a vote share of 49 percent.
A total of 292 candidates, including 23 women and many independents, are in the fray in the state.
The ruling CPM has fielded 56 candidates, leaving one seat each to its Left Front partners — the Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting in 50 seats and left nine seats for its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).
The Congress fielded candidates for all 59 constituencies but one of its candidates withdrew his nomination and joined the BJP. The Trinamool Congress has fielded 24 candidates.
In Meghalaya, which saw around 84 percent voting, the contest involves the ruling Congress, BJP, National People's Party (NPP) and the newly floated People's Democratic Front.
Polling in Williamnagar constituency of the state was countermanded following the death of Nationalist Congress Party candidate in an IED blast.
The CVoter exit poll has predicted the ruling Congress suffering some setback with its tally coming down to 13-19 from 29 while the BJP is set to win 4-8 seats and around 16.5 per cent of vote share. It said the local National People's Party (NPP) may get 17-23 seats.
In 2013, the BJP had badly lost all 13 seats it contested with a vote share of 6.2 percent. The NPP had won only two seats out of 32 it contested.
In Nagaland, the BJP is contesting the polls in alliance with the newly-floated Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the two are contesting 20 and 40 seats respectively.
The CVoter survey has predicted a victory for the BJP-NDPP with the combine likely to get 25-31 seats with 38.4 percent vote share.
It predicted that the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) will bag 19-25 seats with a vote share of 27.1 percent. NPF had won 38 seats and 47.65 vote share in 2013 elections.
This time around, the Congress tally may come down to 0-4 seats, according to Cvoter survey.
The voting in the state was held in 59 of the total 60 constituencies as three-time Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDDP) has been declared elected unopposed from Northern Angami-II constituency.
Follow all the LIVE updates from Nagaland here
Follow all the LIVE updates from Tripura here
Follow all the LIVE updates from Meghalaya here
With inputs from IANS
Published Date: Mar 03, 2018 17:22 PM | Updated Date: Mar 03, 2018 17:41 PM
Highlights
BJP's rising graph in the North East
The prime minister termed his party's show in the northeastern states a victory from "shoonya to shikar (zilch to summit)" and not wrongly so.
Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership
BJP chief Amit Shah said today his party's victories in the Left's citadel Tripura and Nagaland were an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership by the people of the Northeast. A jubilant Shah said the BJP's golden era would be when its wrests West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka from rival parties.
"It is a day of joy for me and crores of BJP workers. The victory of the BJP is important in many ways....It is an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the Northeast," he told a press conference.
Tally in all three North States as of 4.52 pm
Amit Shah positive of wins in West bengal, Karnataka
"Victory after victory is a positive sign. This has boosted our confidence even more for 2019. We will march towards Karnataka, with this massive victory with us," Shah said.
BJP workers sacrificed to establish BJP in Tripura: Amit Shah
Amit Shah said that he would also like to remember the candidates who were killed in the political violence in North East. He said that the cadres' sacrifice has finally paid off.
Mandate after mandate has been in the favor of Narendra Modi: Amit Shah
"Even if we don't count Meghalaya, BJP and NDA has governance in 21 states across the nation today. Mandate after mandate has been in the favor of Narendra Modi Ji and his government North East needs development and peace," Amit Shah said.
Left not right for any part of India: Amit Shah
Congress wiped out of North East India: Amit Shah
"Congress could not even score a single seat in Nagaland and Tripura and their security will be confiscated in a lot of seats. In Meghalaya too, where they already had a government, we have a hung Assembly now," Shah said. He said that the Congress party has ignored tribals and the people of North East far years and this is the reason for their loss.
People stamped approval on Modi's North East development policy: Amit Shah
He also said that the people have stamped their approval on the policies of Narendra Modi. He said that the results of all three states is a precursor to the Assembly elections in other states and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Narendra Modi congrats BJP cadre for 'shunya to shikhar' Tripura win; claims 'Act East policy' paid off
"Time and again, election after election, the people of India are reposing their faith in the positive and development oriented agenda of the NDA. People do not have the time or respect for negative, disruptive and disconnected politics of any kind," the prime minister tweeted.
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah expected to address party workers at 5
Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi says 'trends not surprising', accepts party lacked cadre on ground to win polls
We knew we would perform poorly in Tripura and Nagaland. In Tripura, the BJP took away most of our strong candidates and in Nagaland, we weren't as active in our campaigning as we should have been. We will score a zero in both states. We lacked in organisational skills, and one can't achieve much at the last moment. The trends are not surprising.
However, we were hopeful about Meghalaya, and the trends so far indicate we have a chance at forming the government, although I can't be a 100 percent sure.
About the BJP emerging strong in these states, it is not a new phenomenon that Northeastern states have voted for the party in power at the Centre. Small states often do that, so it isn't a big deal. But after their recent losses in bypolls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, BJP winning a few seats in the North East would not be of significance.
Will Nagaland get its first woman MLA?
Awan Konyak is leading in Aboi assembly constituency with 1320 votes against standing MLA Eshak Konyak (NPF). Awan’s father, Nyeiwang Konyak, four-time MLA and former education minister, had lost the 2013 polls by 693 votes. He passed away on 31 January this year. The state has historically had a poor show in terms of being gender representative in politics.
Since Nagaland was formed in 1963, only 19 women, including this year’s candidates, have stood for assembly elections. None has ever won.
Five women were in fray this election despite the resistance of from hohos, or tribal bodies against woman representation in local body elections.
Amit Shah reaches BJP headquarters in Delhi amid rousing welcome
Congress already in talks with associates in Meghalaya, positive to form govt: Kamal Nath
Senior Congress leader and party's North East incharge Kamal Nath said that the Congress party expect to win around 25 seats and is the single largest party. "We are already in talks with our associates who have reassured us of their support in the last one hour. The BJP has just 2-3 seats and they are just trying to create mischief with those few seats, that's all," he said.
BJP win in Tripura may have far reaching effects within Left-wing CPM
Brinda Karat, expected to succeed Sitaram Yechury as the general secretary of the Communist party of India Marxist, was responsible for driving the campaigning and eletion strategy in Tripura. The BJP's lead in the state will not spell good news for the leader.
More importantly, if the BJP wins then the much contended question of adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP will again come up. Yechury along with a large section of leaders from Bengal have been vocal about the adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP.
But his political line has been vehemently opposed by the party's Kerala unit along with politburo member Prakash Karat, known as a hardliner in the CPM. The CPM central committee had on 21 January voted against the draft political resolution pitched by Yechury proposing alliance with the Congress.
BJP-IPFT combine set to end 25-year Left rule in Tripura
The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) combine was leading in 40 seats and was set to end the 25-year uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura. Election in 59 seats for the 60-member Assembly was held on February 18. Polling was countermanded in one seat due to the death of a CPI(M) candidate.
The BJP was leading in 32 seats with its ally IPFT ahead in 8 seats. The majority mark in the Assembly is 31. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb was leading from Banamlipur seat. The ruling CPI(M), which has been in power for the last 25 years, was ahead in 19 seats.
Biplab Deb says expected such massive victory
Speaking to the media, Biplab Kumar Deb says, "I expected a win of this margin." A confident Deb, who is also being touted as the probable new chief minister, thanked the party cadre.
BJP is leading in 26 seats and won 15 seats in Tripura, clearly overthrowing the Manik Sarkar-led CPM government. Even though the final results are not out yet, the mandate is seen as a huge blow to Manik Sarkar's 25 years of uninterrupted rule.
Manjul on Left's predicament in Tripura
Cartoon by Manjul
Former Assam CM and Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi comments on trends so far:
"We knew we would perform poorly in Tripura and Nagaland. In Tripura, the BJP took away most of our strong candidates and in Nagaland, we weren't as active in our campaigning as we should have been. We will score a zero in both states. We lacked in organisational skills, and one can't achieve much at the last moment. The trends are not surprising.However, we were hopeful about Meghalaya, and the trends so far indicate we have a chance at forming the government, although I can't be 100 percent sure," says Gogoi
He adds, "About the BJP emerging strong in these states, it is not a new phenomenon that North Eastern states have voted for the party in power at the Centre. Small states often do that, so it isn't a big deal. But after their recent losses in bypolls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, BJP winning a few seats in the North East would not be of significance."
Tally till 12 pm
In Tripura, BJP surged ahead of the Left Front government and is leading in 41 seats. CPM is ahead in 16 seats. The sudden twist in the numbers for Tripura has come as a major boost for the saffron party.
In Meghalaya, Congress leads in 18 seats, NPP is ahead in 9 seats and BJP in 7.
In Nagaland, BJP+ is leading with 28 seats while NPF is ahead in 25 seats.
BJP's performance in Tripura a tectonic shift in national politics
It is now clear that the BJP will form a government, ending the Manik Sarkar era in Tripura. At 11.30am, the saffron unit is leading in 2/3rd of seats in the state which translates to a figure above 40. It right now looks too insurmountable a lead for CPM to catch as it leads in just 17 in the the 59-seat Assembly.
This result will be analysed threadbare but the impact of Tripura result, where the BJP contested 50 seats in 2013 and lost its deposit in 49, cannot be overstated. It points to a tectonic shift in national politics where BJP has emerged as the true national party.
It is easy to overlook, at this hour, the pivotal role played by Amit Shah who had spent the better part of three years in plotting Sarkar's downfall and RSS foot soldiers who have ensured booth-level mobility. In absence of these strategies, defeating a formidable opponent in terms of grassroots connect and ideological rival wouldn't have been possible. Rest assured, Tripura result will have repercussions far beyond the geographical boundaries of the state.
Ram Madhav addresses the media
"In Tripura, at least until now, it looks like the BJP will be forming the next government. We are pleased with this, but will wait for the final tally. That said, we expect to pick up over 40 seats in the state... It is a historic win and the prime minister put a lot into this effort," says BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav
'Alliance with IPFT could have been suicidal': Himanta Biswa Sarma
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the man behind the BJP’s performance in Tripura, said the alliance with IPFT (Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura) was the game changer.
“Alliance with IPFT could have been suicidal or have give us a huge advantage, but Amit Shah was sure it would get good results. Many people did not want the merger, but the BJP president was in favour and that has helped. If Shah is a student of postgraduation, Rahul Gandhi is in nursery in terms of politics,” said Sarma.
Victory of Lyngdoh in Meghalaya
Former Meghalayan cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh (INC) retains her constituency of East Shillong by a huge margin. There were widespread reports of EVM and VVPAT malfunctions in her constituency on Tuesday. Se told 101Reporters, "I don't know how well the party is doing yet. But I know that we should not allow any communal differences to rock the state; we should move forward, not backwards."
Input: Kyrmenlang Uriah/101Reporters
Just in from Meghalaya
Mukul Sangma (INC) wins in Songsak, Cherak Momin (INC) wins Kharkutta.
Input: Saidul Khan/101Reporters
Congress tries to stop repeat of Goa, rushes senior leaders Kamal Nath, Mukul Wasnik to Meghalaya to form govt
Congress has rushed senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath and Mukul Wasnik to Meghalaya in order to reinforce the possibility of forming a government in the state. The Congress is ahead in 23 seats; NPP+ is leading in 14, BJP in 5 and others are ahead in 17 seats.
Once bitten, twice shy Congress clearly doesn't want a repeat of Goa when it was apparently found sleeping at the wheels despite being on driver's seat, allowing Amit Shah to snatch a coalition right under its nose. Rahul Gandhi's alertness though won't be able to save the larger picture for Congress where it seems to have been replaced by BJP as the pan-India national party in once-bastion North East.
Meghalaya: After strong leads, Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel rushed to Shillong
In Meghalaya, Congress has taken a strong lead with chief minister Mukul Sangma leading in Ampati constituency. Party leaders Kamal Nath and Ahmed Patel are headed to Shillong amid fears of horse-trading.
Meghalaya: Tight competition in Nartiang constituency
Tight competition in Nartiang constituency where Jopthiaw Lyngdoh of Indian National Congress is trailing by 100 votes, close behind Sniawbhalang Dhar (NPP) who has 11,608 votes. Counting in progress.
Input by Kyrmenlang Uriah / 101Reporters
Meghalaya: BJP, UDP, NPP will form government
BJP leader and minister of state (home affairs) Kiren Rijiju said that the BJP, UDP and NPP will together form the government in Meghalaya.
10.30 am seat tally
Tripura: BJP+ ahead in 32 seats; Left 25
Nagaland: NPF+ ahead in 25 seats; BJP+ ahead in 31 seats
Meghalaya: Congress ahead in 25 seats; NPP leads in 14, while BJP is ahead in 5 seats
Breakthrough for BJP in Nagaland: With or without Tripura, party in North East holds promise
The BJP seems to be closing in in forming a government in Nagaland and emerging as the single largest opposition in Tripura. Though the result might be interpreted as a disappointment for BJP given the attention it had given to Tripura to wrest power, in realistic terms it is an astonishing improvement to leap from zero to more than 20 seats. It points to an inescapable fact that the BJP is now truly a pan-India party.
The north eastern success posits BJP as a serious player even in areas where there is no Hindi-speaking population. Its performance in Nagaland is stupendous, given its position as a party that advocates prohibition of cow slaughter. To sum, even in they fall short at the final hurdle in Tripura, this is a breakout election for BJP in North East that holds promise for the future.
BJP leaders say wait till 12 pm
Several BJP leaders, including Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suni Deodhar, told TV channels referred to the early trends and said "wait till 12 pm" for the real numbers to emerge.
Sarma, who is BJP's key strategist in the North East, said that the cadre had done hard work in the North East and the results would not be disappointing.
Mukul Sangma, Agatha Sangma and James Sangma leading from their constituencies
In Meghalaya, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Agatha Sangma and James Sangma are leading from their constituencies. BJP's Donkupar Roy is ahead in Shella and Alexander Laloo Hek, a former member of the Congress who then shifted to BJP, is leading in Pynthorumkhrah.
Ram Madhav confident of BJP's win in all 3 northeastern states
ANI quotes Ram Madhav who said, "Seeing the earlier trends:, I feel that in Tripura BJP is going to do very well In Nagaland too, our alliance is doing very well and Congress is trailing in Meghalaya. The three results of North East are going to be very good for BJP."
The national general secretary earlier took to Twitter to say that EVMs weren't opened yet in any of the North East state, hinting that the BJP can't be ruled out yet.
Trends till 9.30 am
Tripura: Left ahead in 28 seats; BJP ahead in 21 seats
Meghalaya: Congress leads in 15 seats; NPP is ahead in 7 seats and BJP is leading in just one seat
Nagaland: BJP+ ahead in 18 seats, while NPF+ is ahead in 34 seats
Ram Madhav says EVMs are yet to be opened
Without speculating or mentioning anything about early trends which put the BJP behind the Left Front government in Tripura, national general secretary Ram Madhav took to Twitter to say that, "Results being shown now are mostly from postal ballot count. EVMs are yet to be opened."
According to early trends, Manik Sarkar government in Tripura is ahead in 26 seats, while BJP is close second with 23 seats.
Tallies in Meghalaya
Mukul Sangma (INC) currently leading in Songsak. Other prominent candidates who are currently in the lead are Agatha Sangma (NPP), James Sangma (NPP), Limison Sangma (INC) and Clement Marak (INC).
UDP and PDF currently have the lead in the number of votes counted (58 percent). UDP is in an alliance with other regional parties like HSPDP and GNC and has vowed to form a government in Meghalaya without the need for national parties.
Input: Saidul Khan/101Reporters
Congress supporters buoyant in Meghalaya
As per leads and with the Congress taking the fight to the BJP and its allies in the state, supporters at the counting centre in Shillong are enthusiastic about their party's prospects.
Input: Daphilabet Buhphang/101reporters
Meghalaya: UDP+ leading in 4 seats
UDP+ leading in 4 seats, Congress and NPP leading in 3 seats each
Lok Sabha seats
Looking ahead to 2019 and the impact these elections could have on the voting in the General Election, it's worth recalling that Tripura has two Lok Sabha seats, Meghalaya has two Lok Sabha seats and Nagaland has the solitary seat in the Lok Sabha.
With its fortunes dipping in Hindi heartland, BJP needs the North East election win
Securing the North East is more important for BJP than it would appear at present in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
If by-election results in various states are anything to go by, BJP's seats in the core Hindi heartland are set to take a downward revision. Gujarat is a battle, Rajasthan is looking precarious, Madhya Pradesh isn't too promising either. In most of these states where BJP was the dominant force in 2014 and swept everything that came its way, it appears to have saturated.
Therefore, it would need to bolster its numbers in quest of 272 in 2019 (or earlier) and Northeastern states may play a crucial role in propping up its fortunes.
Congress ahead in three seats in Meghalaya, show early trends
At 8:45 am, the Congress is ahead in three seats in Meghalaya, while the BJP is leading in one. The National People's Party (NPP) is also ahead in three seats, while candidates of other parties are also leading in four seats in the state.
Barricades have been put up around Ramesh School counting centre in Udaipur sub-division
Video courtesy: Ayub Sarkar | 101Reporters
Meghalaya: Congress candidate arrives at counting centre
Congress candidates Zenith Sangma (contesting from Rangsakona assembly constituency) and his wife Sadhiarani Sangma (Gambegre assembly constituency) arrive at the counting centre in Tura.
Inputs: Saidul Khan/101Reporters
Tripura remains BJP's biggest challenge
The BJP has emerged the main challenger for the Left, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah leading its campaign. The state is crucial for the Left, which is its last bastion in the country, with Manik Sarkar’s 20-year rule facing a sort of referendum this election.
Tripura biggest challenge for Modi and BJP: In his campaign rallies, PM attacked Left govt over complacency
Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and his party, Modi had said that the people in Tripura feel intimidated by the communists.
"For something as basic as a ration card, people here have to approach the party office. Even when somebody gets murdered, police does not register a case unless they get the approval from the CPI(M)," he told an election rally. The communists here force common people to depend on them for everything, he said, adding "this is the new face of slavery". He claimed Tripura has hardly witnessed any development under the Left rule.
The prime minister said people wear 'manik' (gemstone) for changing their fate, but this Manik (Sarkar) failed to bring prosperity to people. "Throw away Manik (Sarkar government) and go for 'hira' for prosperity and development in the state in the upcoming election," he urged the gathering.
TRIPURA: Bypoll for Charilam seat to be held on 12 March
Polling was conducted only for 59 seats after the death of CPM candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma from the Charilam constituency. The bypoll for the seat will be conducted on 12 March. CPM has declared that its youth front leader Palash Debbarma will contest from the seat, reported agencies.
The importance of the Nagaland Election
The Nagaland Assembly polls this time around are not only a test of power for political parties, but also for the Church. This time around, the Church appealed to people not to vote for the BJP. On the other hand, Neiphiu Rio, the chief ministerial candidate of the NDPP-BJP alliance has appealed to voters that this alliance will usher in good days for Nagaland. Whom will the people listen to? Today's counting of votes will answer this question.
It must be noted that Nagaland is a Christian state. The term 'Christian state' does not only refer to the fact that the population of the state is mostly Christian, but also the reality that the Church has tremendous influence over the government, society and politics in the state. The results will have an impact on the future of Naga politics.
Meghalaya: Counting to begin soon
Counting for as many as 15 constituencies will be taken up at JN Sports Complex, Poo, Shillong. Polling agents from different parties in queue to enter inside the counting hall.
Input: Kyrmenlang Uriah/101Reporters
'Congress losing grip on North East': Himanta Biswa Sarma
According to Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, "The tribal population in the state, irrespective of religious affiliation, is gradually siding with the BJP. The Congress party has no leaders left in the region. All the important leaders have left the party and have joined the BJP. Hence, I think that the Congress is no longer a viable political force in the region."
Read the full interview here
What the C-Voter exit poll says about Tripura
Of the 60 seats in the Tripura Assembly, the C-Voter exit poll for 2018 predicts that the party with the highest vote share in the state will be CPM, which is forecasted to clinch 44.3 percent of the seats. BJP will be a close second with 42.8 percent of the vote share. According to the C-Voter poll, Congress may get 7.2 percent of the seats, while the other candidates will muster 5.7 percent vote share.
For CPM, C-Voter exit poll predicts a seat share of around 26 to 34, while forecasts 24 to 32 seats for BJP. Congress and others are both likely to clinch 0 to 2 seats.
Read the full analysis here
What the C-Voter exit poll says about Tripura
Of the 60 seats in the Tripura Assembly, the C-Voter exit poll for 2018 predicts that the party with the highest vote share in the state will be CPM, which is forecasted to clinch 44.3 percent of the seats. BJP will be a close second with 42.8 percent of the vote share. According to the C-Voter poll, Congress may get 7.2 percent of the seats, while the other candidates will muster 5.7 percent vote share.
For CPM, C-Voter exit poll predicts a seat share of around 26 to 34, while forecasts 24 to 32 seats for BJP. Congress and others are both likely to clinch 0 to 2 seats.
Read the full analysis here
What the C-Voter exit poll says about Nagaland
According to the C-Voter exit poll for 2018, of the 60 seats in Nagaland, the BJP-NDPP alliance is likely to clinch 25 to 31 seats. The ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) is likely to get 19 to 25 seat share, the exit poll predicts. Congress and Others will see 0 to 4 and 6 to 10 seats respectively.
C-Voter predicts that the BJP-NDPP alliance will end up with 38.4 percent of the vote share, followed by NPF with 27.1 percent, Congress with 19.7 percent and Others with 14.8 percent.
Read the full analysis here
What the C-Voter exit poll says about Meghalaya
According to the exit poll, Congress will clinch 36.5 percent of the vote, followed by NPP with 29.4 percent. Despite its heavy campaigning, BJP only managed 16.6 percent vote share, while the UDP- HSPDP coalition had an 8.8 percent share and Others clinched 8.7 percent of the vote share.
The exit poll predicts 17 to 23 seats for NPP, 13 to 19 seats for Congress, 8 to 12 for UDP- HSPDP alliance, 4 to 8 seats for BJP and 5 to 9
seats for Others respectively.
Read the full analysis here
The latest from Tripura
Counting in Tripura will take place at 20 centres across the state, which will have three-tire security arrangement. Paramilitary troops were deployed on Friday night at sensitive areas
Input: SS Ali/101Reporters
The story so far
The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in all the three states and two exit polls have predicted that the party would dethrone the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura and consolidate its position in the other two states.
While the Congress has been ruling Meghalaya for 10 years, the Naga People's Front (NFP) has been in power in Nagaland since 2003, except for a three-month period of President's rule in 2008.
Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is making a bid to expand its footprints in the region.
Read the full preview here
Counting to begin in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura at 8 am
Welcome to live updates from Counting Day for the first three of the year's eight Assembly elections. The states of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram are set to go to the polls later this year.
To follow coverage from specific states, click on the links below:
Nagaland Election Results
Tripura Election Results
Meghalaya Election Results
Watch: Why are these election results so important
17:41 (IST)
BJP's rising graph in the North East
The prime minister termed his party's show in the northeastern states a victory from "shoonya to shikar (zilch to summit)" and not wrongly so.
17:24 (IST)
Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership
BJP chief Amit Shah said today his party's victories in the Left's citadel Tripura and Nagaland were an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership by the people of the Northeast. A jubilant Shah said the BJP's golden era would be when its wrests West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka from rival parties.
"It is a day of joy for me and crores of BJP workers. The victory of the BJP is important in many ways....It is an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the Northeast," he told a press conference.
16:51 (IST)
Tally in all three North States as of 4.52 pm
16:46 (IST)
Amit Shah positive of wins in West bengal, Karnataka
"Victory after victory is a positive sign. This has boosted our confidence even more for 2019. We will march towards Karnataka, with this massive victory with us," Shah said.
16:35 (IST)
BJP workers sacrificed to establish BJP in Tripura: Amit Shah
Amit Shah said that he would also like to remember the candidates who were killed in the political violence in North East. He said that the cadres' sacrifice has finally paid off.
16:33 (IST)
Mandate after mandate has been in the favor of Narendra Modi: Amit Shah
"Even if we don't count Meghalaya, BJP and NDA has governance in 21 states across the nation today. Mandate after mandate has been in the favor of Narendra Modi Ji and his government North East needs development and peace," Amit Shah said.
16:28 (IST)
Left not right for any part of India: Amit Shah
16:26 (IST)
Congress wiped out of North East India: Amit Shah
"Congress could not even score a single seat in Nagaland and Tripura and their security will be confiscated in a lot of seats. In Meghalaya too, where they already had a government, we have a hung Assembly now," Shah said. He said that the Congress party has ignored tribals and the people of North East far years and this is the reason for their loss.
16:20 (IST)
People stamped approval on Modi's North East development policy: Amit Shah
He also said that the people have stamped their approval on the policies of Narendra Modi. He said that the results of all three states is a precursor to the Assembly elections in other states and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
16:14 (IST)
Amit Shah thanks BJP's North East workers for their struggle to establish BJP
It’s a proud moment for all of us. I want to thank the people of Meghalaya, Tripura & Nagaland for reposing their faith in PM Narendra Modi , Shah said.
16:04 (IST)
Narendra Modi congrats BJP cadre for 'shunya to shikhar' Tripura win; claims 'Act East policy' paid off
"Time and again, election after election, the people of India are reposing their faith in the positive and development oriented agenda of the NDA. People do not have the time or respect for negative, disruptive and disconnected politics of any kind," the prime minister tweeted.
15:25 (IST)
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah expected to address party workers at 5
15:17 (IST)
Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi says 'trends not surprising', accepts party lacked cadre on ground to win polls
We knew we would perform poorly in Tripura and Nagaland. In Tripura, the BJP took away most of our strong candidates and in Nagaland, we weren't as active in our campaigning as we should have been. We will score a zero in both states. We lacked in organisational skills, and one can't achieve much at the last moment. The trends are not surprising.
However, we were hopeful about Meghalaya, and the trends so far indicate we have a chance at forming the government, although I can't be a 100 percent sure.
About the BJP emerging strong in these states, it is not a new phenomenon that Northeastern states have voted for the party in power at the Centre. Small states often do that, so it isn't a big deal. But after their recent losses in bypolls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, BJP winning a few seats in the North East would not be of significance.
15:08 (IST)
Will Nagaland get its first woman MLA?
Awan Konyak is leading in Aboi assembly constituency with 1320 votes against standing MLA Eshak Konyak (NPF). Awan’s father, Nyeiwang Konyak, four-time MLA and former education minister, had lost the 2013 polls by 693 votes. He passed away on 31 January this year. The state has historically had a poor show in terms of being gender representative in politics.
Since Nagaland was formed in 1963, only 19 women, including this year’s candidates, have stood for assembly elections. None has ever won.
Five women were in fray this election despite the resistance of from hohos, or tribal bodies against woman representation in local body elections.
15:02 (IST)
Amit Shah reaches BJP headquarters in Delhi amid rousing welcome
14:54 (IST)
Congress already in talks with associates in Meghalaya, positive to form govt: Kamal Nath
Senior Congress leader and party's North East incharge Kamal Nath said that the Congress party expect to win around 25 seats and is the single largest party. "We are already in talks with our associates who have reassured us of their support in the last one hour. The BJP has just 2-3 seats and they are just trying to create mischief with those few seats, that's all," he said.
14:38 (IST)
BJP workers break into celebrations outside party's Kerala unit office
14:32 (IST)
BJP win in Tripura may have far reaching effects within Left-wing CPM
Brinda Karat, expected to succeed Sitaram Yechury as the general secretary of the Communist party of India Marxist, was responsible for driving the campaigning and eletion strategy in Tripura. The BJP's lead in the state will not spell good news for the leader.
More importantly, if the BJP wins then the much contended question of adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP will again come up. Yechury along with a large section of leaders from Bengal have been vocal about the adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP.
But his political line has been vehemently opposed by the party's Kerala unit along with politburo member Prakash Karat, known as a hardliner in the CPM. The CPM central committee had on 21 January voted against the draft political resolution pitched by Yechury proposing alliance with the Congress.
14:18 (IST)
BJP-IPFT combine set to end 25-year Left rule in Tripura
The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) combine was leading in 40 seats and was set to end the 25-year uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura. Election in 59 seats for the 60-member Assembly was held on February 18. Polling was countermanded in one seat due to the death of a CPI(M) candidate.
The BJP was leading in 32 seats with its ally IPFT ahead in 8 seats. The majority mark in the Assembly is 31. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb was leading from Banamlipur seat. The ruling CPI(M), which has been in power for the last 25 years, was ahead in 19 seats.
14:03 (IST)
Biplab Deb says expected such massive victory
Speaking to the media, Biplab Kumar Deb says, "I expected a win of this margin." A confident Deb, who is also being touted as the probable new chief minister, thanked the party cadre.
BJP is leading in 26 seats and won 15 seats in Tripura, clearly overthrowing the Manik Sarkar-led CPM government. Even though the final results are not out yet, the mandate is seen as a huge blow to Manik Sarkar's 25 years of uninterrupted rule.
13:34 (IST)
Manjul on Left's predicament in Tripura
Cartoon by Manjul
13:10 (IST)
Former Assam CM and Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi comments on trends so far:
"We knew we would perform poorly in Tripura and Nagaland. In Tripura, the BJP took away most of our strong candidates and in Nagaland, we weren't as active in our campaigning as we should have been. We will score a zero in both states. We lacked in organisational skills, and one can't achieve much at the last moment. The trends are not surprising.However, we were hopeful about Meghalaya, and the trends so far indicate we have a chance at forming the government, although I can't be 100 percent sure," says Gogoi
He adds, "About the BJP emerging strong in these states, it is not a new phenomenon that North Eastern states have voted for the party in power at the Centre. Small states often do that, so it isn't a big deal. But after their recent losses in bypolls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, BJP winning a few seats in the North East would not be of significance."
13:09 (IST)
Ravi Shankar Prasad weighs in
12:11 (IST)
Tally till 12 pm
In Tripura, BJP surged ahead of the Left Front government and is leading in 41 seats. CPM is ahead in 16 seats. The sudden twist in the numbers for Tripura has come as a major boost for the saffron party.
In Meghalaya, Congress leads in 18 seats, NPP is ahead in 9 seats and BJP in 7.
In Nagaland, BJP+ is leading with 28 seats while NPF is ahead in 25 seats.
12:02 (IST)
BJP's performance in Tripura a tectonic shift in national politics
It is now clear that the BJP will form a government, ending the Manik Sarkar era in Tripura. At 11.30am, the saffron unit is leading in 2/3rd of seats in the state which translates to a figure above 40. It right now looks too insurmountable a lead for CPM to catch as it leads in just 17 in the the 59-seat Assembly.
This result will be analysed threadbare but the impact of Tripura result, where the BJP contested 50 seats in 2013 and lost its deposit in 49, cannot be overstated. It points to a tectonic shift in national politics where BJP has emerged as the true national party.
It is easy to overlook, at this hour, the pivotal role played by Amit Shah who had spent the better part of three years in plotting Sarkar's downfall and RSS foot soldiers who have ensured booth-level mobility. In absence of these strategies, defeating a formidable opponent in terms of grassroots connect and ideological rival wouldn't have been possible. Rest assured, Tripura result will have repercussions far beyond the geographical boundaries of the state.
11:48 (IST)
Yogi Adityanath hails 'important day in Indian politics'
11:42 (IST)
Ram Madhav on Tripura trends so far
11:40 (IST)
Ram Madhav addresses the media
"In Tripura, at least until now, it looks like the BJP will be forming the next government. We are pleased with this, but will wait for the final tally. That said, we expect to pick up over 40 seats in the state... It is a historic win and the prime minister put a lot into this effort," says BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav
11:28 (IST)
'Alliance with IPFT could have been suicidal': Himanta Biswa Sarma
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the man behind the BJP’s performance in Tripura, said the alliance with IPFT (Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura) was the game changer.
“Alliance with IPFT could have been suicidal or have give us a huge advantage, but Amit Shah was sure it would get good results. Many people did not want the merger, but the BJP president was in favour and that has helped. If Shah is a student of postgraduation, Rahul Gandhi is in nursery in terms of politics,” said Sarma.
11:15 (IST)
Just in from Tripura
CPM candidate Tapan Chakraborti leading in Chandipur constituency.
Input: Suneet Shukla/101Reporters
11:11 (IST)
Victory of Lyngdoh in Meghalaya
Former Meghalayan cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh (INC) retains her constituency of East Shillong by a huge margin. There were widespread reports of EVM and VVPAT malfunctions in her constituency on Tuesday. Se told 101Reporters, "I don't know how well the party is doing yet. But I know that we should not allow any communal differences to rock the state; we should move forward, not backwards."
Input: Kyrmenlang Uriah/101Reporters
11:08 (IST)
BJP's celebrations underway in Tripura
11:01 (IST)
Just in from Meghalaya
Mukul Sangma (INC) wins in Songsak, Cherak Momin (INC) wins Kharkutta.
Input: Saidul Khan/101Reporters
10:57 (IST)
Congress tries to stop repeat of Goa, rushes senior leaders Kamal Nath, Mukul Wasnik to Meghalaya to form govt
Congress has rushed senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath and Mukul Wasnik to Meghalaya in order to reinforce the possibility of forming a government in the state. The Congress is ahead in 23 seats; NPP+ is leading in 14, BJP in 5 and others are ahead in 17 seats.
Once bitten, twice shy Congress clearly doesn't want a repeat of Goa when it was apparently found sleeping at the wheels despite being on driver's seat, allowing Amit Shah to snatch a coalition right under its nose. Rahul Gandhi's alertness though won't be able to save the larger picture for Congress where it seems to have been replaced by BJP as the pan-India national party in once-bastion North East.
10:53 (IST)
Meghalaya: After strong leads, Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel rushed to Shillong
In Meghalaya, Congress has taken a strong lead with chief minister Mukul Sangma leading in Ampati constituency. Party leaders Kamal Nath and Ahmed Patel are headed to Shillong amid fears of horse-trading.
10:44 (IST)
Meghalaya: Tight competition in Nartiang constituency
Tight competition in Nartiang constituency where Jopthiaw Lyngdoh of Indian National Congress is trailing by 100 votes, close behind Sniawbhalang Dhar (NPP) who has 11,608 votes. Counting in progress.
Input by Kyrmenlang Uriah / 101Reporters
10:41 (IST)
Meghalaya: BJP, UDP, NPP will form government
BJP leader and minister of state (home affairs) Kiren Rijiju said that the BJP, UDP and NPP will together form the government in Meghalaya.
10:35 (IST)
10.30 am seat tally
Tripura: BJP+ ahead in 32 seats; Left 25
Nagaland: NPF+ ahead in 25 seats; BJP+ ahead in 31 seats
Meghalaya: Congress ahead in 25 seats; NPP leads in 14, while BJP is ahead in 5 seats
10:35 (IST)
BJP workers sense victory in Tripura
10:14 (IST)
Breakthrough for BJP in Nagaland: With or without Tripura, party in North East holds promise
The BJP seems to be closing in in forming a government in Nagaland and emerging as the single largest opposition in Tripura. Though the result might be interpreted as a disappointment for BJP given the attention it had given to Tripura to wrest power, in realistic terms it is an astonishing improvement to leap from zero to more than 20 seats. It points to an inescapable fact that the BJP is now truly a pan-India party.
The north eastern success posits BJP as a serious player even in areas where there is no Hindi-speaking population. Its performance in Nagaland is stupendous, given its position as a party that advocates prohibition of cow slaughter. To sum, even in they fall short at the final hurdle in Tripura, this is a breakout election for BJP in North East that holds promise for the future.
10:08 (IST)
BJP leaders say wait till 12 pm
Several BJP leaders, including Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suni Deodhar, told TV channels referred to the early trends and said "wait till 12 pm" for the real numbers to emerge.
Sarma, who is BJP's key strategist in the North East, said that the cadre had done hard work in the North East and the results would not be disappointing.
09:56 (IST)
Mukul Sangma, Agatha Sangma and James Sangma leading from their constituencies
In Meghalaya, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Agatha Sangma and James Sangma are leading from their constituencies. BJP's Donkupar Roy is ahead in Shella and Alexander Laloo Hek, a former member of the Congress who then shifted to BJP, is leading in Pynthorumkhrah.
09:41 (IST)
Ram Madhav confident of BJP's win in all 3 northeastern states
ANI quotes Ram Madhav who said, "Seeing the earlier trends:, I feel that in Tripura BJP is going to do very well In Nagaland too, our alliance is doing very well and Congress is trailing in Meghalaya. The three results of North East are going to be very good for BJP."
The national general secretary earlier took to Twitter to say that EVMs weren't opened yet in any of the North East state, hinting that the BJP can't be ruled out yet.
09:35 (IST)
Trends till 9.30 am
Tripura: Left ahead in 28 seats; BJP ahead in 21 seats
Meghalaya: Congress leads in 15 seats; NPP is ahead in 7 seats and BJP is leading in just one seat
Nagaland: BJP+ ahead in 18 seats, while NPF+ is ahead in 34 seats
09:24 (IST)
Ram Madhav says EVMs are yet to be opened
Without speculating or mentioning anything about early trends which put the BJP behind the Left Front government in Tripura, national general secretary Ram Madhav took to Twitter to say that, "Results being shown now are mostly from postal ballot count. EVMs are yet to be opened."
According to early trends, Manik Sarkar government in Tripura is ahead in 26 seats, while BJP is close second with 23 seats.
09:22 (IST)
Calm heads prevail at Meghalaya's Congress HQ
"Although Congress and NPP seem neck and neck for now, the NPP leads will come down shortly. There's no reason for worry as yet, but a clearer picture will only emerge in around two hours," says Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee working president James Lyngdoh.
09:18 (IST)
Tallies in Meghalaya
Mukul Sangma (INC) currently leading in Songsak. Other prominent candidates who are currently in the lead are Agatha Sangma (NPP), James Sangma (NPP), Limison Sangma (INC) and Clement Marak (INC).
UDP and PDF currently have the lead in the number of votes counted (58 percent). UDP is in an alliance with other regional parties like HSPDP and GNC and has vowed to form a government in Meghalaya without the need for national parties.
Input: Saidul Khan/101Reporters
09:13 (IST)
Congress supporters buoyant in Meghalaya
As per leads and with the Congress taking the fight to the BJP and its allies in the state, supporters at the counting centre in Shillong are enthusiastic about their party's prospects.
Input: Daphilabet Buhphang/101reporters
09:11 (IST)
Meghalaya: UDP+ leading in 4 seats
UDP+ leading in 4 seats, Congress and NPP leading in 3 seats each
09:00 (IST)
Lok Sabha seats
Looking ahead to 2019 and the impact these elections could have on the voting in the General Election, it's worth recalling that Tripura has two Lok Sabha seats, Meghalaya has two Lok Sabha seats and Nagaland has the solitary seat in the Lok Sabha.