Election results LIVE: BJP back in the game in Haryana, Cong-NC maintain decisive lead in J-K

The counting for the Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections 2024 has begun today. Election officials, accompanied by representatives from political parties, have begun the counting process in the the designated centres.

The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir for 90 constituencies were held over three phases, on September 18, September 25, and October 1. In Haryana, polling for all 90 seats of the Assembly concluded on October 5. In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole mentioned that Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have been installed in each counting hall for recording purposes. The counting of postal ballots will begin at 7:30 am, with EVM counting starting at 8 am. According to Pole, the elections were conducted peacefully, with no candidate or political party facing any difficulties, and the public participated without any incidents of violence.

The counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly elections will begin at 8 am, starting with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting 30 minutes later. Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal stated that 93 counting centres have been established across 22 districts for the 90 constituencies.

With almost all exit polls predicting a Congress win in Haryana, the party’s Sirsa MP Kumari Selja on Monday indicated that she was in the race to be the chief minister. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who served as the CM from 2005-2014, said he was “neither tired nor retired”, and that the final decision of the high command on the CM pick will be acceptable to all. In Jammu and Kashmir, exit polls have predicted a hung assembly, with the National Conference-Congress alliance likely to fall short of the majority mark. With Independents and smaller parties likely to become crucial to government formation, NC leader Omar Abdullah said Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid's suggestion for delaying government formation till restoration of statehood was playing into the hands of the BJP which wants the Central rule in Jammu and Kashmir to be extended.