Finally, after over two months of the long-drawn election process in five states, it is decision time. The counting of votes for Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur is underway. Recent exit polls by different agencies have projected a clear win for Yogi Adityanath-led BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Bhagwant Mann-led AAP in Punjab. Things in Uttarakhand, Goa are too close to call by several pollsters while the majority showed a swing for the ruling alliance in Manipur. While all that has no significance, today’s results will also reflect how accurate different agencies have been in their predictions.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to return to power in Uttar Pradesh as the party has crossed the halfway mark in the early rounds of counting on Thursday. It will be for the first time since 1985 that a ruling party will be returning to power in the state. Yogi Adityanath is set to become the first chief minister in the state to return to power after serving a full five-year term. In Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home turf Gorakhpur, the BJP is leading on all the nine assembly seats including Chillupar seat, where the BSP had won the 2017 elections.
Exuding confidence, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form a government in the state. Celebrations kicked off at the BJP office in Goa as Assembly polls counting indicated that party is inching closer to the half-way mark. Congress is leading on 11 seats followed by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak with three seats and independent candidates taking lead on three seats. Aam Aadmi Party is also leading on two seats.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to return to power in Uttarakhand as it was ahead in 48 seats, 12 more than the required majority in the 70-seat assembly, with the Congress leading on 18 seats as counting of votes was underway. It is going to be a record of sorts for the BJP as it is going to hold on to the power in the state where the anti-incumbency factor has not let any party retain power since its formation in 2000.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is headed for a massive win in Punjab, with trends showing the party leading in 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly. AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann won from Dhuri Assembly seat by a margin of over 58,000 votes. In his maiden speech following the election victory, Mann thanked the people of Punjab and said his party will work together to bring the state back on the development track. Election trends suggest the BJP is set to emerge as the largest party in Manipur. However, it is still short of the majority mark. Meanwhile, BJP’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh has won from the Heingang seat by around 18,000 seats.