The counting of votes for the Legislative Assembly election results in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Tuesday, with the announcement of the mandate by the Election Commission for the state and the Union Territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Haryana party workers for the hat-trick win in the state while appreciating the industrious efforts of party Karyakartas in the Union Territory.

The Congress and National Conference alliance won the Union Territory elections, while BJP surprised the Opposition with its victory in the state.   

In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference got 42 seats, and Congress had 6 seats. BJP- 29 seats, 3 for PDP, Jammu & Kashmir People Conference, CPI(M) and Aam Aadmi Party won one seat each and Independent – 7 seats.

In Haryana, BJP crossed the majority with 48 seats, while Congress has won 37 seats, 2 for INLD and 3 seats have been won by independent candidates.

On winning the Haryana Assembly election, PM Modi extended his gratitude to the people of Haryana for giving a clear majority to the BJP once again. “This is the victory of the politics of development and good governance. I assure the people here that we will leave no stone unturned to fulfil their aspirations,” he said in a post on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the massive victory of BJP in Haryana was a victory of the unwavering faith of farmers, poor, backward classes, soldiers and youth in the PM Modi-led govt. “People of Haryana completely rejected negative and divisive politics of Congress which divides people based on caste and region,” he said in a post on X.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, after winning the Assembly elections, said, “This is a historic day, and we’ve received the love and respect of the people of Haryana. They’ve approved the policies of PM Modi and the double-engine government, and the work done by (former Haryana CM) Manohar Lal Khattar.”  

The BJP, months before the Haryana Assembly elections, replaced its strongman Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister with low-profile OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini. This decision surprised many. Today, the BJP’s gamble paid off as Saini led the party to victory in the state elections. This came after a poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and defied exit poll predictions of a clean sweep for the Congress.

People have given a mandate to the BJP in Haryana for a third consecutive term on PM Modi government’s policies, achievements and way of functioning, Union Minister Manohar Lal said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Congress rejected the Haryana assembly results and said it would move the Election Commission of India.

Former CM and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the results in Haryana are totally unexpected, completely surprising and counter-intuitive. “It goes against ground reality. It goes against what the people of Haryana had made their minds up for, which was for change and transformation. I think under these circumstances, it is not possible for us to accept the results that have been announced today,” he added.

The Prime Minister also complimented JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

“I am proud of the BJP’s performance in Jammu and Kashmir. I thank all those who have voted for our Party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of our Karyakartas,” he said.

PM Modi said the elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been very special since it held for the first time after the removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) and witnessed a high turnout, thus showing the people’s belief in democracy. “I compliment each and every person of Jammu and Kashmir for this,” he added.

On Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election results, Shah said: “PM Modi had promised peaceful elections in J&K, which witnessed transparent polls for first time since advent of terrorism.” “I congratulate EC, J&K administration, security forces and people for successful and historic elections.”  

“After 10 years the people have given their mandate to us. We pray to Allah that we meet their expectations,” said National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah after winning J&K in alliance with Congress.

He was hopefull that Opposition block INDIA alliance partners would fight along with his party to restore statehood in the UT. He said Omar Abdullah will become the Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir. “I am sad that they (Congress) have not won in Haryana. I think it happened due to their internal disputes,” he said on Congress performance in Haryana.

Former wrestler and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday won the Julana constituency, by a margin of 6015 votes, in the Haryana Legislative Assembly election. She defeated BJP candidate Yogesh Kumar.

Speaking to reporters after winning the Julana seats, she said: “This is the fight of every girl, every woman who chooses the path to fight. This is the victory of every struggle, of truth. I will maintain the love and trust that this country has given me.”

“Now that I have entered here, I will continue here. People have given me their love, I will have to work for them on ground. It is not possible to work on both simultaneously (politics and wrestling),” Phogat added.

On Congress trailing in the Haryana elections, Phogat requested to wait a little as the complete results have not yet come. “When we get the final certificate, results will be in our favour,” she said.

On her victory, wrestler Bajrang Punia congratulated the former Olympic wrestler and said the fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties but the fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country.

“Many congratulations to the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties. This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious,” he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party appears set for a record third term in the state, said: “I would like to thank the people of Haryana. Many efforts were made to mislead the people of Haryana in the name of protests of farmers and wrestlers. However, people have praised the policies of BJP.”

Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, alleged that he has the inputs that counting is being stopped at several places. “We are getting the majority. This is a game, the ball is sometimes here, sometimes there but we will do the final goal,” he said.

“As per the input I have with me, we are touching the majority. Congress is getting the majority. There are several seats that we have won…but the same is yet to be updated,” the senior Congress leader said.

Responding to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over his memorandum on the display of results on the EC website, the Commission said it unequivocally rejects the Congress’s attempt to surreptitiously give credence to irresponsible, unfounded and uncorroborated malafide narratives.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Tuesday that his son and party vice president Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the Election Commission of India, the National Conference vice president has won the Budgam seat, defeating PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by more than 18,000 votes.

“It (referring to NC’s decision to form an alliance with Congress) was very good decision, we stand with India and we don’t stand alone. If the state has to progress, we’ve to stand with the rest of the nation, so that we could remove the tragedies that have occurred in these 10 years,” said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah as trends show Congress-NC alliance heading towards victory.

National Conference workers and supporters were seen celebrating outside Sher-i-Kashmir Bhawan in Jammu as trends show Congress-NC alliance heading towards victory in the Union Territory elections.

Speaking to reporters, Omar said, “We have once again got the opportunity to serve the people of Kashmir. In the past five years, several attempts have been made to finish JKNC, but with God’s grace, those who came to finish us have themselves been wiped out.”

Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, as trends show NC-Congress alliance heading towards victory in J&K elections, said, “This is a democracy and people have the right to elect their representatives, and this is something which I’ve said since beginning. The seats which we’ve lost have gone to the National Conference. So, I accept it.”

Choudhary Lal Singh, a veteran Congress leader, was defeated by BJP candidate Darshan Kumar in the Basholi seat in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.

According to the EC website, Singh secured 15,840 votes but lost to Kumar by a margin of 16,034 votes. Kumar, who consistently maintained a lead, garnered 31,874 votes. Singh, a three-time MLA and two-time MP, faced a challenging task in trying to reclaim his traditional stronghold for the fourth time.

Earlier today, the NC president met party workers at his residence in Srinagar, as the National Conference-Congress alliance is likely to form government in Jammu and Kashmir with poll trends showing the combine ahead in 51 of the 90 seats while the BJP was leading in 28.

National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq was officially declared as a winner from the Zadibal Assembly constituency.