The counting of votes in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir kicked off on Tuesday, with trends showing BJP is leading on most of the seats of 90 members in state, while Congress and National Conference alliance is set to form the government in the Union Territory.

In a dramatic turnaround in Haryana, the BJP has surged ahead to lead in 49 seats in the state, overturning the early lead that the Congress had. In this election, the Congress relied heavily on the support of the Jat community, especially due to their discontent with the BJP over the farmers’ agitation and the wrestlers’ protest.

Meanwhile, Congress filed a complaint to ECI, claiming between 9 and 11 am there has been an ‘unexplained slowdown’ in updating Haryana results on the poll body’s website.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday alleged that pressure was being exerted on local administration and that the results for 10-12 rounds have come, but the update on ECI website and (TV) channels is only for four-five rounds.

“We are submitting a memorandum in the next five-six minutes. We hope ECI answers our questions. The results for 10-12 rounds have come, but the update on ECI website and (TV) channels is only for four-five rounds. This is a way to keep pressure on the administration. This happened in the Lok Sabha polls too, and we had gone to the ECI and it took action,” the Congress leader said.

“Like the Lok Sabha results, the election trends in Haryana are also being deliberately shared slowly on the Election Commission’s website. Is the BJP trying to put pressure on the administration?”, Ramesh said in a post on X.

Reacting to the statement, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “If Jairam Ramesh is pointing fingers at Election Commission, then we should understand that they have accepted their defeat. As per the trends, I feel we are moving towards an important victory and Congress has started taking precautionary measures for their future defeat.”  

Congress MP Kumari Selja said,” Congress will make the government. Rounds of counting of votes are underway. to BJP, I would like to say that everyone should have patience. I can’t understand why the data is coming so slowly. It wasn’t so in Lok Sabha elections. As per the ground reports, it is a close contest.”

For the Union Territory, the Congress and National Conference ahead with 50 seats, while BJP on 28, Others – 10, as per Election Commission of India data.

Speaking to reporters on J&K result trends, former Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said, ” BJP is not far behind. We had told that we will win 35 seats and we are reaching nearby towards the last round, we will achieve our target. We can only say something once the result comes but it has to be accepted that currently they (NC-Congress) are leading and if they win, they will form the government.”

The counting of votes for the Legislative Assemblies of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir kicked off on October 8. The Congress has crossed the halfway mark in the State as well as in the Union Territory, as per the early trends. If these numbers hold true, the BJP will suffer a significant setback in both states, particularly in Haryana where it has been in power for the last 10 years.

Jammu and Kashmir: Congress-NC alliance leads in 44 seats

In Jammu & Kashmir, Congress and National Conference alliance is leading in 44 seats while the BJP is leading in 26 seats. Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, which formed the government in 2014, is leading in just three seats.

Haryana: Official Election Commission trends coming in for 60 of the 90 Assembly seats

BJP is leading on 30, while Congress on 28, INLD on 1, and Independent candidate on 1.

Haryana: Now, the BJP leads in 46 seats in Haryana, with Congress a close second at 41 seats.

J&K: Trends from the counting of votes show former deputy CM and Cong candidate Tara Chand trailing Independent Satish Sharma in Chhamb.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina trailing in Nowshera constituency, NC’S Surinder Kumar leading by 2,797 votes, as per the Election Commission.

Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan leads from Hodal

Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan is leading by 637 votes against BJP’s Harinder Singh from Hodal constituency.

According to early trends, Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is leading from the Garhi Sampla seat.

According to early trends by ECI show that the BJP has crossed the halfway mark in Haryana, with leads in 46 seats against Congress’s 38.

Jammu and Kashmir: National Conference-Congress ahead in the UT

The alliance in Jammu and Kashmir was ahead in 49 seats as vote count is currently underway, as per ECI.

Haryana: Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda speaks on the early trends.

“I am going to the counting station (centre) at the moment. Will talk afterwards,” said senior Congress leader and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Congress MP Kumari Selja said, “As the counting progresses, the Congress party will form the government and we will win more than sixty assembly seats.”

As per the latest Elections Commission updates, BJP crosses the majority mark in Haryana, leading on 46, while Congress leads on 33, INLD and BSP on 1 each.

“These are early (trends). At one point, you will see Congress gaining (votes) greatly. I would say that Congress will form the government with an overwhelming majority. It’s just the third or fourth round, 10 (rounds) more to go,” said Congress leader Kumari Selja.

VIDEO | Haryana Election Results 2024: “These are early (trends). At one point, you will see Congress gaining (votes) greatly. I would say that Congress will form the government with an overwhelming majority. It’s just the third or fourth round, 10 (rounds) more to go,” says… pic.twitter.com/FaqHlGT5nu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 8, 2024

Speaking to reporters, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that he was confident in his party winning the Assembly polls in the state, despite the BJP crossing the halfway mark as per the early trends. He further said that the Congress will form the government in the state with a majority and added the Chief Ministerial face will be decided by the party’s top brass.

“Credit goes to the party, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, all party leaders and people of Haryana,” Hooda added.

As per the official trends released by the Election Commission of India, Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat is trailing from Julana seat.

Former Deputy CM and JJP candidate Dushyant Chautala is trailing on 6th position, in Uchana Kalan after round 4/16 of counting, as per latest EC data.

Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah leads in both seats

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah continues to lead in both seats – Budgam and Ganderbal, as per official EC trends.

On Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir early trends, senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, “Their (BJP) position has become very weak… Congress government will be formed at both the places (J&K and Haryana).”

BJP leads on 49 seats in Haryana, Congress on 33

The BJP continues to lead in Haryana and crossed the halfway mark in 90-member Assembly. The BJP is leading in 49 seats, while the Congress party is leading in 33 seats.

“I am confident that Congress government will be formed. The figures haven’t been updated on EC website for quite some time,” said Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks on Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir election trends

“We have to wait and see. We shouldn’t make a premature conclusion right now. At the moment, they (BJP) seem to be leading in a majority of the seats (in Haryana) which is a genuine surprise. Certainly, the whole exit poll industry must be in a deep disgrace. Honestly, let us wait for the final results. My own feeling is that the signs in Haryana are not what we were expecting and are better than what INDIA block was expecting in Jammu & Kashmir,” Tharoor told reporters.

BJP leader Anil Vij sang ‘Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya’ during his interaction with supporters in Ambala amid trends showing his party leading in Haryana.

Haryana BJP leader Vipul Goel is leading in Faridabad seat, while Congress leader Lakhan Kumar Singla trailing after 6/18 rounds of counting, as per the latest EC data.   

Criticising the outdated and misleading trends on the ECI website, the Congress leader, in a post on X, said, “Like the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana we are again witnessing slowing down of uploading up-to-date trends on the ECI website. Is the BJP trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends @ECISVEEP?”

In a close contest, Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat is leading from Julana constituency, by a margin of 5909 votes, after round 14/15 of counting, as per the latest EC data.

The Haryana BJP workers were celebrating at the party office in Ambala, as the party is leading on 51 of the 90 seats.

#WATCH | Haryana: BJP workers celebrate at party office in Ambala, as counting continues. As per the latest EC data, the party is leading on 51 of the 90 seats. pic.twitter.com/bINUniFCCn

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2024

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah meets party workers at his residence in Srinagar

NC president Farooq Abdullah 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.

NC vice president and former CM Omar Abdullah secures unassailable lead in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam.

Congress leader Vinesh Phogat has won the Julana Assembly seat by 6,015 votes, as per the Election Commission. In her first-ever election, she defeated BJP’s Yogesh Kumar. 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister

NC president Farooq Abdullah said his son and party vice president Omar Abdullah will be chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“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.

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

The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has filed a charge sheet against Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. Roy has been charged with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside the hospital on August 9.

The CBI in its charge sheet filed before a special court in Kolkata said Roy, who was working as a civic volunteer with the local police, allegedly committed the crime on August 9 when the victim had gone to sleep in the seminar room of the hospital during a break.

The investigation agency did not mention the charge of gang rape, indicating that Roy alone committed the crime. The trainee doctor had been raped and murdered inside the hospital’s seminar room. Reportedly, she had gone to the room to rest amid her marathon shift at the hospital after midnight. Her body was found the next morning by a junior doctor.

As per her post-mortem report, the victim had been raped and murdered. Her autopsy revealed 25 internal and external injuries to her body.

The civic volunteer was seen in CCTV footage entering the seminar room at 4.03 am on August 9. It was noted that he came out of the room after around half an hour. During investigation, the Kolkata police also found the man’s Bluetooth headphones at the crime scene.

Roy was subjected to a lie-detector test after the CBI took over the case. IN the lie-detector test, Roy claimed innocence. He further claimed when he entered the seminar hall, the woman was already unconscious.

When questioned why he didn’t inform the police about the incident, he said he was in a state of panic after seeing the woman in an injured state. The investigation agency reportedly said he was trying to mislead the investigators. Roy had also claimed that he was being framed.

Meanwhile, the CBI has also arrested the former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandeep Ghosh, for allegedly trying to mislead the parents of the victim and tampering with evidence.

The former principal had allegedly tried to pass off the murder as a suicide. Sandeep Ghosh also made the victim’s parents wait for three hours before allowing them to see the body. The CBI has also arrested a local police officer. Reportedly, he was also allegedly involved in corrupt practices, including selling unclaimed corpses.