With the counting of votes began in Uttarakhand on March 10, 2022, the ruling BJP secured a comfortable lead and set to retain power with its candidates are ahead in most Assembly seats while the main opposition Congress was way behind, according to poll trends available.
It is a direct contest between Congress and the BJP, with the latter seeking a second term. The exit polls have predicted a simple majority for the BJP and the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he expects even better results.
View a detailed map of Uttarakhand’s election results here.
Also read: Dhami versus Rawat: A tough battle on cards in Uttarakhand
Here are the live updates from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Manipur results.
BJP's "grand victory" result of people's faith in PM's welfare programmes for poor and farmers: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the BJP's "grand victory" in Uttar Pradesh is the result of the people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welfare programmes for villages, the poor and farmers.
He also said that the state's people have put their stamp on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's good governance and an administration free from fear and corruption.
In a series of tweets, the senior BJP leader also expressed his gratitude to the people of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa for reposing their faith in the BJP.
The BJP is set to return to power in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa as results for the assembly elections in the four states along with Punjab are declared on Thursday. The Aam Aadmi Party is posed to form its first government in Punjab.
"The grand victory of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh is a victory of unshakable faith of the people in the welfare programmes of PM @narendramodi for the villages, poor and farmers," Mr. Shah said in a tweet in Hindi.
The minister said he salutes the people of Uttar Pradesh for relentlessly showing their unwavering faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019 and assembly elections in 2017 and now in 2022.
"People have put their stamp on @myogiadityanath ji's fear and corruption free good governance. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of UP for this massive victory," he said.
Mr. Shah congratulated party workers and the state BJP leadership for the "grand victory", and taking the party's ideas to the grassroot level.
"BJP is determined to fulfil the expectations and aspirations of the people of Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Mr. Shah thanked the people of Uttarakhand for giving BJP a chance to serve again.
"Devbhoomi has expressed its unwavering faith in the development works and public-welfare policies of the BJP government led by PM @narendramodi," he said.
He thanked party workers, outgoing Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the party's state leadership for the BJP's victory in the polls.
The Home Minister said in a tweet "Thank you, Manipur. PM @narendramodi Ji's resolve for a prosperous North-East has earned him a special place in the hearts of the people of our NE region, this victory is a testament to the same. Congratulations to CM @NBirenSingh Ji, @AShardaDevi Ji and our karyakartas".
In another tweet, Mr. Shah said "Grateful to the people of Goa for reposing their faith in the BJP. BJP under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the aspirations of our sisters & brothers of Goa. Congratulations to @DrPramodPSawant, @ShetSadanand & our karyakartas".
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and former CM Rawat defeated
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was defeated by Bhuwan Chandra Kapri of Congress by a margin of 6,579 votes from Khatima constituency.
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat of Congress was also defeated by BJP's Dr. Mohan Singh Bisht by 17,527 votes from Lalkuwa constituency.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Dhami said, "There was a jinx that the BJP and Congress form governments alternatively. I have always said that all the myths are being demolished and new history is being created after PM Modi has come to power. I thank the people of Uttarakhand. We will fulfil all the promises that we have done in our manifesto."
Reiterating his promise made before the polls in connection with bringing in the Uniform Civil Code in the state after the formation of his government, Mr. Dhami said that the new government would implement it after the swearing-in ceremony.
Speaker of outgoing Uttarakhand Assembly among winners
Speaker of the outgoing Uttarkhand assembly Prem Chand Aggarwal was among the victorious BJP candidates as the party headed for a second consecutive win in the hill state.
Aggarwal defeated Jayendra Chand Ramola of the Congress in Rishikesh by 19,057 votes.
Umesh Sharma Kau of the BJP won from Raipur defeating Hira Singh Bisht of the Congress by 3,0052 votes.
Taking forward his mother Indira Hridayesh's legacy, Sumit Hridayesh won the prestigious Haldwani seat represented by her in the last Assembly, defeating Jogender Pal Singh Rautela of the BJP by 7814 votes.
Indira Hridayesh, the senior-most Congress leader from the state, died last year. She had won from Haldwani in the last two Assembly polls.
Ganesh Joshi of the BJP defeated Congress's Godavari Thapli in Mussoorie by 15,325 votes while Khajan Das of the BJP defeated Rajkumar of the Congress by 11,163 votes from Rajpur Road.
Congress Mamta Rakesh defeated her brother-in-law Subodh Rakesh of the BSP in Bhagwapur by 4,811 seats while Congress's Adesh Singh Chauhan defeated Shailendra Mohan Singhal of the BJP by 4,172 votes from Jaspur.
The ruling BJP is all set to break the trend of the state not giving a second consecutive term in power to any party.
The saffron party has won 13 seats and is leading in 34 at 5 PM. Congress is also likely to marginally improve its performance as it is has won four and is leading in 15 out of the total 70 seats. The BSP and Independents were leading in two seats each, according to Election Commission's website.
In his first reaction, Congress poll campaign head Harish Rawat who was trailing in Lalkuan admitted that the party had failed to win the trust of the people.
"However, with an increased mandate we have been given the task of playing the role of the main opposition to which we will do justice," Rawat told reporters.
Will fulfil all poll promises, says Uttarakhand CM Dhami
As the BJP sustained a lead in the Uttarkhand Assembly elections, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday expressed gratitude to the people for giving the party 'two-third' majority and said that the BJP government would fulfil all the poll-promises that the party made before the elections.
Addressing a press conference here, Dhami said, "There was a jinx that the BJP and Congress form governments alternatively. I have always said that all the myths are being demolished and new history is being created after PM Modi has come to power. I thank the people of Uttarakhand. We will fulfil all the promises that we have done in our manifesto."
Reiterating his promise made before the polls in connection with bringing in the Uniform Civil Code in the state after the formation of his government, Dhami said that the new government would implement it after the swearing-in ceremony.
"We have promised Uniform Civil Code before the polls that our new government would implement it. We will form a high-level committee of the stakeholders after the swearing-in ceremony. The committee will prepare a draft which we will implement. Besides this, we will fulfil all other promises," he said.
The BJP leader called the vote of the people to the party "proof that they have voted for the party that works".
"When we were going to the people, we were asked what are our issues? We used to say that we have the work that the Centre and the state governments have done. Today, the people of Uttarakhand have clarified that the BJP is forming a government with a two-thirds majority from their support which is proof that the people have voted for the party that works," he said.
BJP in charge of the elections in Uttarakhand and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi congratulated Dhami for "creating history" by returning to power consecutively for two terms.
"We are creating history in Uttarakhand that no party has come to power consecutively, but Chief Minister Dhami has done it. I congratulate him on that. We will make this decade the decade of Uttarakhand," Mr. Joshi said.
Assembly poll results put BJP on firm wicket for Presidential elections
The BJP's victory in the assembly polls on Thursday has put the party on a stronger wicket for the election for the post of President expected later this year.
The big victory for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi a free hand to decide on the successor to President Ram Nath Kovind, who will complete his tenure on July 24, 2022, political analysts said.
Had the Uttar Pradesh election results gone in favour of the Samajwadi Party, the BJP would have had to rely on the support of fence-sitters such as Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who together control a sizeable chunk of votes.
The electoral college for the presidential election comprises elected members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and elected members of state legislative assemblies and that of NCT Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry. Members of Legislative Councils and nominated members do not form part of the electoral college.
"It is advantage NDA now," former Lok Sabha secretary general P Sreedharan told PTI.
In terms of numbers, the electoral college is made up of 233 members of Rajya Sabha, 543 members of Lok Sabha and 4,120 members of legislative assemblies — a total of 4,896 electors.
The value of the vote of every MP has been fixed at 708, while among states the value of the vote of an MLA is the highest at 208.
The total value of votes of the Uttar Pradesh assembly is 83,824, Punjab (13,572), Uttarakhand (4480), Goa (800) and Manipur (1080).
The string of victories in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur have turned the presidential elections a cakewalk for the BJP, a political observer said.
A section of the opposition had projected NCP supremo Sharad Pawar as a possible candidate for the presidential election. TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had met a section of opposition leaders, apparently with an eye on playing a key role in the presidential election.
In a bid to create a divide in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the NCP has even proposed the name of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a joint opposition candidate in the presidential election, should he part ways with the BJP.
The presidential elections follow the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. The value of each vote is pre-determined in proportion to the population of the respective state based on the 1971 census.
The total value of the electoral college, comprising 4,896 electors is 10,98,903 and the winning candidate has to get at least 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared as elected.
Listen to an analysis of the election results by our journalists Nistula Hebbar, Amit Baruah and Varghese K. George
Humbly accept people's verdict, will continue to work for people's interests: Rahul Gandhi
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the party humbly accepts the people's verdict in the assembly polls and will learn from it.
The party, he said, will continue to work for the interests of the people of the country.
Mr. Gandhi's comments came after the Congress failed to make a mark in the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, and lost Punjab to the AAP.
"Humbly accept the people’s verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India," Mr. Gandhi said on Twitter.
Poll results show that politics of appeasement has no place in country, says MP CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said the BJP is heading towards a "great victory" in four out of five states, and it has clearly given a message that politics of appeasement has no place in the country.
As per the Election Commission of India's data, the BJP is headed for a second straight win in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh and dominated the trends chart in three other states — Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) readied for a landslide win in Punjab.
"It (BJP's performance) reflects the faith and confidence that people reposed in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a blessing to the double engine government in Uttar Pradesh," Mr. Chouhan told reporters.
The way Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami and Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant implemented welfare-oriented policies at the ground level, it clearly reflected that politics of appeasement has no place in the country, he said.
It has also given a clear message that there will be no place for those who spread terror, for anti-social activities and divisive politics. These polls have also risen above the issues of dynastic and caste politics in the elections, he said.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh cabinet, during its meeting held on Thursday, passed a resolution thanking PM Modi, BJP president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah for the party's "spectacular success" in four states.
Interacting with reporters separately in Gwalior, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said except Punjab, the BJP is going to form government in four states, while his cabinet colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia praised PM Modi and the party's top brass for its good show in the assembly polls.
"With people's blessings and workers' hard labour, the BJP is winning. We are going to form governments in four states, except in Punjab," Tomar said.
Mr. Scindia said, "We are going to form government due to workers' labour, the faith shown by the people of those states in BJP and their blessings. Today is an important day because the BJP is heading towards a historic win. And this was possible due to the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah." "This is clear that where there were double engine governments (BJP government at the Centre and states), people reposed faith in development and progress and helped the party to romp home," he told reporters, referring to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, where it was in power. -- PTI
Congress opens account in Uttarakhand
Election Commission declares Congress’ Sumit Hridayesh as winner from Haldwani. He defeated Dr. Jogender Pal Singh Rautela from BJP with a margin of 7,814 votes. This is the first official declaration of results in Uttarakhand. So far Congress has won 2 seats.
Who is the next Chief Minister in Uttarakhand?
The ruling BJP looked all set to secure a second consecutive term in office in Uttarakhand, according to latest trends.
However, both Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Congress' Harish Rawat who led the campaigns of their respective parties in these Assembly polls, were trailing on their respective seats of Khatima and Lalkuan.
While Dhami trails behind Congress's Bhuvan Chandra Kapri in Khatima, Harish Rawat was trailing behind BJP's Mohan Singh Bisht. It will be clear later in the afternoon on what ultimately happens on these two seats.
However, if the trends are an indication of the outcome, then it is going to be difficult for both the parties to choose the next Chief Minister as Mr. Rawat and Mr. Dhami were billed to be the leading probables for the top office.
The Congress had not declared Mr. Rawat as its chief ministerial candidate. Mr. Dhami on other hand was almost the BJP's chief ministerial candidate as the party was seeking a full five-year-term for the "young and dynamic" leader to deliver on the party's grand vision for Uttarakhand's development. However, the BJP appears on way to making history by winning two successive Assembly elections in the State as it had never happened in its 21-year history. -- PTI
Prominent leaders trail in Uttarakhand
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was, however, trailing behind Bhuwan Chandra Kapri of the Congress in Khatima by 1068 votes, the Election Commission said. Mr. Dhami faces the challenge of bucking the trend of incumbent Chief Ministers losing in Uttarakhand. The BSP is leading on one seat and Independents on two, the Election Commission said.
The BJP's vote share so far is 43.9% while that of Congress is 39.3%. The BJP is all set for a second consecutive term in office this time, something which has never happened in the State's 21-year history.
Prominent candidates trailing in their respective seats included Congress veteran Harish Rawat, who was behind Mohan Singh Bisht of the BJP by 12048 votes in Lalkuan and Subodh Uniyal of the BJP, who was trailing behind Om Gopal Rawat of the Congress in Narendra Nagar by 231 votes.
Harak Singh Rawat's daughter-in-law Anukriti Gusain Rawat is also trailing behind BJP's Daleep Singh Rawat by 5,466 votes in Lansdowne. However, Harish Rawat's daughter Anupama Rawat is leading in Haridwar rural seat against BJP's Yatishwaranand. Routed in the 2017 assembly polls with a tally of 11 seats against the BJP's 57, the Congress is trying to stage a comeback. -- PTI
As Congress trails in Assembly polls, party workers stage protest blaming EVMs
After the Congress' poor performance in all five states where Assembly elections were held, party workers staged a protest outside the party’s headquarters, alleging that democracy was being “murdered” through EVMs.
Delhi Congress leader Jagdish Sharma and some local workers raised slogans against the BJP holding placards that read: “EVM se ho rahi hai loktantra ki hatya” (Democracy is being murdered through electronic voting machines).
The Congress is set to lose Punjab to entrant Aam Aadmi Party and is trailing in all the other four states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — where the BJP is set to form its governments. -- PTI
ECI lifts ban on victory processions
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday lifted the ban on victory processions during the counting of votes and declaration of results in the five States where elections were held recently.
In a statement, the poll panel said keeping in mind the current status of COVID-19 in these states, it has "decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting and has withdrawn the blanket ban on victory procession." While announcing the poll schedule for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab, the poll panel had issued guidelines to regulate various aspects of elections, including victory processions amid the pandemic.
"During the period of elections as the COVID situation improved, the Commission gradually relaxed the norms concerning electioneering in consultation with the Union Health Ministry and state governments," the statement said.
The relaxation will be subject to existing instructions of state disaster management authorities and preventive measures imposed by concerned district authorities, it added. -- PTI
BJP parliamentary board meeting likely on Thursday evening
The BJP parliamentary board, its apex organisational body, is likely to meet later on Thursday to review the party's performance in Assembly polls in five States as initial trends projected a thumping victory for the party in four of the five States.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address party workers at the BJP headquarters in the evening, sources said.
As votes were counted for elections to five States, trends showed the BJP set for victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and was ahead in Manipur and Goa. The Aam Aadmi Party appeared set for a landslide win in Punjab.
Top party leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party president J P Nadda, will be attending the parliamentary board meeting, which is likely to be held after the results of assembly polls become more clear, they said. -- PTI
History being created, says BJP
With the BJP leaving its rivals comfortably behind in States like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the initial rounds of vote counting, its leaders credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance model for the expected win and said "new history" is being created in UP.
Party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi asserted that people have expressed their faith in the policies ushered in by Mr. Modi. -- PTI
BJP marching ahead in Uttarakhand
The ruling BJP secured a comfortable lead in Uttarakhand on Thursday with its candidates ahead in 44 assembly seats while the main opposition Congress was ahead in 22 seats, according to poll trends available. BJP's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was, however, trailing behind Bhuwan Chandra Kapri of the Congress by 954 votes in Khatima, according to trends available for all 70 seats in the State.
The ruling BJP is seeking a second consecutive term in office this time, something which has never happened in the state's 21-year history.
Congress leader Harish Rawat during counting day of Uttarakhand Assembly elections, in Dehradun district on March 10, 2022 | Photo Credit: PTI
Routed in the 2017 assembly polls with a tally of 11 seats against the BJP's 57, the Congress is trying to stage a comeback.
Prominent candidates who contested the polls are Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his cabinet colleagues Satpal Maharaj, Bansidhar Bhagat, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha Arya, besides state BJP president Madan Kaushik.
Important Congress leaders whose fate will be decided include former chief minister Harish Rawat, former minister Yashpal Arya, state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition in the fourth assembly Pritam Singh. -- PTI
Trends declared for 70/70 constituencies
According to recent data released by the ECI, the BJP is leading in 44 constituencies, the Congress in 22 constituencies, the BSP in in two constituencies and independent candidates in two constituencies.
BSP leads in two constituencies
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is leading in two constituencies in Uttarakhand, according to data releasd by the ECI. The constituencies are Laksar, where the leading candidate is Shahzad, and Manglaur, where the leading candidate is Sarwat Kareem Ansari.
Chief Minister Dhami trails in Khatima
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami trails Congress’ Bhuwan Chandra Kapri in Khatima, according to numbers released by the ECI. Mr. Dhami is serving as the 10th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, and was took office in 2021.
BJP crosses halfway mark
The BJP has crossed the halfway mark in Uttarakhand, leading in 44 constituencies, according to numbers released by the ECI.
Early trends in Uttarakhand
According to early trends released by the ECI, the BJP is leading in 37 constituencies, the Congress in 18 constituencies, the BSP in two constituencies, the UJP in one constituency and independent candidates in two constituencies.
Yashpal Arya, reunited with Congress in 2021, trailing in Bajpur
Yashpal Arya, who had returned to the Congress from the BJP ahead of the polls, was trailing behind BJP’s Rajesh Kumar in Bajpur. Mr. Arya is a former Minister of Transport in the Government of Uttarakhand.
Mr. Arya was the President of the Congress Party’s Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee between 2007 and 2014. He was elected from Bajpur Assembly constituency in 2012. Mr. Arya joined the BJP in 2017 and returned to the Congress in 2021.
Congress’ Rawat trailing in Lalkuan
Congress veteran Harish Rawat was trailing behind Mohan Singh Bisht of the BJP by 2,713 votes in Lalkuan, and Subodh Uniyal of the BJP trailing behind Om Gopal Rawat of the Congress in Narendra Nagar. - PTI
Pritam Singh leads in Chakrata
Pritam Singh of the Congress was leading in Chakrata by 1805 votes against Ramsharan Nautiyal of the BJP. - PTI
Counting of votes for 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand begins
Counting of votes for the 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand began on Thursday amid tight security arrangements. The polling was held in the state on February 14 with more than 65% of the electorate casting their votes.
The ruling BJP is seeking a second consecutive term in office this time – something which has never happened in the State’s 21-year history. Routed in the 2017 assembly polls with a tally of 11 seats against the BJP’s 57, the Congress is trying to stage a comeback.
Several political heavyweights are among a total of 632 candidates awaiting what electronic voting machines (EVMs) hold in store for them.
Prominent among them are Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his cabinet colleagues Satpal Maharaj, Bansidhar Bhagat, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha Arya, besides state BJP president Madan Kaushik.
Important Congress leaders whose fate will be decided include former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, former minister Yashpal Arya, State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition in the fourth assembly Pritam Singh. - PTI
Ex-CM Rawat alleges malfunctioning CCTV cameras in Haridwar strongroom
Hours before the counting of votes in the Assembly elections to five States were to begin, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat alleged that CCTV cameras in a strongroom at Haridwar had malfunctioned thrice.
Separately, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wrote a letter to party workers saying that the fight had just begun, and urged them to respect the people’s mandate.
Over 85 lakh litres of liquor seized from five States that went to polls: EC
Stringent curbs by the Election Commission (EC) have led to over 85 lakh litres of liquor being seized from five States that went to polls in February-March, with Punjab accounting for nearly 70% of the total haul.
According to figures shared by the EC, drugs worth ₹575.39 crore were also confiscated, making it the biggest chunk of seizures in terms of monetary value.
A total of 85,27,227 litres of liquor was seized from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur since the polls were announced on January 8.
Punjab topped the chart at 59,65,496 litres worth ₹36.79 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (22,94,614 litres worth ₹62.13 crore), Uttarakhand (97,176 litres worth ₹4.79 crore), Goa (95,446 litres worth ₹3.57 crore) and Manipur (74,495 litres worth ₹73 lakh). - PTI
Also read: Assembly polls: over 70% of cases lodged under Acts dealing with alcohol and drugs
