Assembly election 2021 results highlights: COVID protocols violated in Bengal's Panihati counting centre; Congress agent suffers cardiac arrest

Counting of votes for high-stake assembly polls have begun in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, the Election Commission has announced strict guidelines, including restricted entry into counting centres and a ban on victory rallies. Polling agents with RT-PCR test certificates or two doses of vaccination will be admitted inside counting centres. Assembly elections were held in the five states, starting late March in several rounds, with the the final phase in West Bengal taking place on April 29.

There are 2,364 counting halls today, as compared to 1,002 halls in 2016, in 822 assembly constituencies, a more than 200 per cent increase, in view of the Covid guidelines, according to the Election Commission.

WEST BENGAL
Total: 292 (there are 294 seats; elections in two constituencies were not conducted following the deaths of candidates)
Majority mark: 148

TAMIL NADU
Total: 234
Majority mark: 118

KERALA
Total: 140
Majority mark: 71

ASSAM
Total: 126
Majority mark: 64

PUDUCHERRY
Total: 30 (plus three nominated members)
Majority mark: 17

Here are the highlights:

• BENGAL: Trends available for 250 out of 294 seats; TMC ahead in 125 BJP leading in 120
• BENGAL: CM Mamata Banerjee trailing by 1,400 votes at the end of first round in Nandigram
• BENGAL: BJP and TMC are both ahead in 93 seats each; Left alliance is ahead in 1
• KERALA: LDF maintains an edge. The Left alliance is ahead in 19 seats while the UDF is leading in 8
• ASSAM: Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal leading in first round
• PUDUCHERRY: NR Congress in the lead as per the latest leads. The Rangaswamy-led NR Congress is in an alliance with the BJP
• KERALA: 'Metro man' E Sreedharan leading in Palakkad in postal vote counting
• TAMIL NADU: Early leads show the DMK in the lead. Exit polls have predicted a clean sweep for the party as the AIADMK is battling strong anti-incumbency.
• KERALA: LDF is leading in 60 seats in postal votes
• TAMIL NADU: DMK-led alliance now ahead in one seat
• ASSAM: Early leads show UPA ahead in two seats
• Counting of votes has begun. Stay tuned for early leads