Meghalaya Assembly elections 2018: Highlights

NEW DELHI: Counting is underway in the Congress-ruled Meghalaya went to the polls on February 27 to elect members for the 60-seat Assembly. Voting was held in 59 constituencies though, as the election was countermanded at Williamnagar following the killing of the NCP candidate in a blast on February 18. Here are real-time highlights as the results roll in:
* The Congress is ahead in 4 seats, the BJP is ahead in 3 seats. The UDP+is ahead in two.

* The BJP and the Congress are leading in 3 seats each. The UDP+ alliance is ahead in one.

* The Congress has taken an early lead in one seat.

* Counting began at 8 am.

* The Congress is currently in power in the state in what is a second consecutive term.

* The Congress's main competition here is the National People's Party (NPP). The NPP is in alliance with the Naga People's Front (NPF) and the JD (U).

* The BJP is in an alliance here with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Another front here is the partnership of the United Democratic Party (UDP) with the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), and a few others.

* Interestingly, the NPP and JD(U) are BJP's partners at the Centre.

* JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll shows that the NPP is set to gain with 23-27 seats while the BJP will get 8-12 seats, with vote shares of 39 and 12 per cent respectively. The Congress is predicted to win 13-17 seats with a vote share of 21 per cent and others are likely to get 2 to 6 seats.

* The CVoter exit poll predicts a close finish, with the Congress likely to get 13-19 seats and the NPP 17 to 23 seats, with vote shares of 36.5 and 29.4 per cent respectively. It gives the BJP 4-8 seats.