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Election results for four states- Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu- and a union territory, Puducherry, will be declared today. The campaigning and voting were held while India battles a devastating second wave of Covid-19. Exit polls predict a close call in West Bengal, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress faces off against the BJP, which is expected to retain neighbouring Assam. Down south, Tamil Nadu is expected to throw a surprise with the DMK’s victory, while Congress is likely to lose Puducherry to the BJP. As for Kerala, the exit polls predict a win for the LDF. But these polls have often turned out to be totally off the mark.
There will be 2,364 counting halls as compared to 1,002 halls in 2016 in 822 assembly constituencies due to the coronavirus guidelines, says the Election Commission which drew flak from the courts over the conduct of polls during the pandemic. Apart from at least 15 rounds of sanitisation at each centre, social distancing and other precautions, including a ban on gatherings, will be strictly followed during the counting by 95,000 officials.
Here are the LIVE updates:
10:02am: Guwahati: In trends available from 76, BJP alliance is ahead in 51 (BJP 39, UPPL 4, AGP8)Cong alliance in 21 (Cong 17, AIUDF 3, BPF 1) Raijor Dal2, Asom Jatiya Parishad 2.
9:58am: West Bengal is witnessing a neck and neck contest, with the TMC leading in about 152 seats and the BJP in 112 seats, as of 9.45 am. The counting will be held in 17 to 30 rounds. The initial trends are based on the first or the second round of counting. Also read
9:57 am: In Tamil Nadu, current trends show DMK leading in 88 seats while AIADMK is up in 72 seats. Edapaddi K Palaniswami, M K Stalin, Kamal Haasan, ministers K A Sengottaiyan and S P Velumani, and BJP leader Nainar Nagendran are leading in their constituencies. Health Minister Vijayabaskar, Law Minister C V Shanmugam, and BJP leaders L Murugan and H Raja are trailing.
9:55am: In Palakkad constituency, E Sreedharan of the BJP is leading by over 1000 votes, mostly postal. Votes are being counted from the Kalpathy area, considered a pocket where BJP has support.
9:47am: Given the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital as well as across the country, the BJP - currently leading in Assam and giving the Trinamool a neck-and-neck contest - has decided not to allow anyone inside its party headquarters in Delhi.
9:45am: In a late-night message Saturday, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: 'At a time when Nation is facing an unprecedented crisis, when Govt under PM Modi has collapsed, we find it unacceptable to not hold them accountable & instead discuss election wins & losses. We @INCIndia have decided to withdraw our spokespersons from election debates. We shall remain available for any comment that media friends want. We may win, we may lose, but at a time when people are looking for oxygen, beds, medicines, ventilators; our duty tells us to stand by them, work with them to heal & help.'
9:43am: In Bengal, TMC crosses 100 - postal ballot leads
Postal ballot leads have given the TMC 101 while the BJP is closely behind at 95. The Left is at 3. In Kerala, the LDF is leading in 80 while Congress is leading in 55. The BJP is at 2.
9:37am: Guwahati: In trends available from 67 of 126 seats, BJP alliance is ahead in 45, Cong alliance in 18 and others 4. (Outlook)
9:36am: India reports 3.92 lakh new Covid-19 cases: As counting continues across states, India registered 3689 Covid-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours and a total of 3.92 lakh cases. India has now reported over 2.15 lakh deaths due to Covid-19 so far.
9:35 am: Kamal Haasan leading in Coimbatore South, showed early trends. Counting of votes underway.
9:32am: Congress' Satish Laxmanrao Jarkiholi leading from Belgaum in Karnataka.
9:22am: Trends:
Kerala:
Assam:
Tamil Nadu
West Bengal
9:13am: BJP's Rajib Banerjee, Locket Chatterjee and Babul Supriyo are leading in the initial trends.
9:11am: A quick look at the postal lead numbers in the states
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK+ is leading in 40 while the AIADMK is leading in 32. In West Bengal, the TMC+ is leading in 74 while the BJP+ is leading in 72. In Kerala, the LDF Is leading in 61 while the UDF is leading in 47. BJP has taken a lead in 4. In Puducherry, the NRC+ is leading in 4 while Congress is leading in 1. In Assam, the BJP+ is leading in 29 while the Congress is leading in 18. AJP+ is leading in 3. - These are all postal ballots that are being counted and not the main EVM ballots.
9:06am: West Bengal Trend: The TMC and challenger BJP were Sunday locked in a neck-and-neck contest in West Bengal as the counting of postal ballots was underway, with the ruling party having a slight edge, officials said. While the TMC was leading in 64 constituencies, the BJP in 60. The Left-Congress-ISF candidates are leading in three places.
9:05am: Assembly Election 2021: Why Assam And Kerala Matter More For Congress Than Bengal Read More
9:00 am: Himanta Sarma Leads from Jalukbari | State Finance and Health Minister and BJP's star campaigner Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading from Jalukbari constituency.
Early Leads
Guwahati East - Siddhartha Bhattacharya
Guwahati West - Ramendra Narayan Kalita
Jalukbari - Himanta Biswa Sarma
8:58 am: Amid Tight Security, Counting Of Votes Underway In Four States, One UT Read more
8:57 am: West Bengal: Gopal Som, a counting agent of Congress candidate from Panihati (North 24 Parganas), Tapas Majumder, was taken to a hospital after he fell unconscious at the counting centre. (ANI)
8:46am: Of the 30 assembly seats, the NRC+ is leading in 3 while the Congress is leading in 1. Exit poll surveys have predicted the Congress will lose in Puducherry. A month ahead of elections, several of its leaders resigned from the assembly forcing the then CM to resign ahead of a trust vote.
8:44am: DMK takes lead on 12 seats. AIADMK ahead on 6 seats, showed early trends.
8:43am: LDF leading on 4 seats in early trends.
8:41 am: The BJP is leading in 12, while the Congress is leading in 9. The AJP+ is leading in 2. These too are postal ballots that are being counted. Exit poll surveys had indicated that the BJP will retain power in the state, making it the only party to win a second consecutive term in the state other than Congress, should it win.
8:38 am: The Trinamool and BJP are at 36 each with the Left-Congress alliance at 1, NDTV reports. These, again, are postal ballots that are still being counted and not the main ballot rounds. In Kerala, the LDF is leading in 30 while the UDF is leading in 27. The BJP+ is at 3. These too are postal ballots.
8:20 am: Counting of votes has also begun for the bye-election to the parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati), Karnataka (Belagavi), Kerala (Malappuram) and Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari). Votes are also being counted for the by-election to Vidhan Sabha in 10 states
8:16 am: Guwahati: Counting begins with postal ballot at 8 am. This year the number is 1,50,033, a 414 per cent rise over 2016. "It is now up to god," says sitting BJP MLA from Batadrava constituency Angoorlata Deka. (Outlook)
8:15 am: Kerala: Congress leader and former CM Oommen Chandy offers prayers at Puthuppally Church. He is also the party's candidate from Puthuppally Assembly constituency. (ANI)
8:00 am: Counting begins
7:47 am: Assembly Election 2021 Result LIVE: Majority Mark and Total Seats
West Bengal: Total Seats 294 (292 went to poll), Majority mark: 148
Tamil Nadu: Total Seats 234, Majority mark: 118
Kerala: Total Seats 140, Majority mark: 71
Assam: Total Seats 126, Majority mark: 64
Puducherry: Total seats 30+three nominated members; Majority mark: 17
7:45 am: The counting of votes to begin at 8 am today.
7:30 am: Under Covid Cloud, Counting Today In Four States, One UT
The much-awaited counting of votes for the bitterly contested Assembly polls in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will start at 8 am tomorrow morning under the Covid-19 cloud. The voting that extended over a month – with polling in West Bengal stretching across long eight phases – the political parties, especially the BJP had come under severe criticism for holding large crowded political rallies as the pandemic raged. Read more
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