Poll counting for four states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh underway with postal ballots being counted first. Mizoram, which also participated in this election cycle, will have its results declared tomorrow honouring the Christian-majority state's observance of Sunday.
These assembly elections, which cover the Hindi heartland, the youngest state in the country, and one of the Seven Sisters in the Northeast, serve as a litmus test for regional political strength and a harbinger for the upcoming national elections.
As BJP celebrates its win in three states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Some people are even saying that today's hat-trick has guaranteed the hat-trick of 2024."
The BJP has won 122 of the total 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. The saffron party will come to power in the state again as it crossed the majority mark of 116 seats, as per data from the Election Commission of India. It is also leading on 42 seats. On the other hand, the Congress has won 36 seats and is leading on 29.
The counting of votes is yet to conclude.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the BJP's big win in three states and said, "The sentiment of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' has won today." He added that the party's victory is "historical and unprecedented".
Speaking at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, the Prime Minister said, "Today, the resolution of Atmanirbhar Bharat has won, the idea of preference for the deprived has won, the idea of the development of states for the development of the country has won."
"Today it is our blessing that BJP has achieved a grand victory under the leadership of PM Modi in the Vidhan Sabha elections," BJP national president JP Nadda said on Sunday after the party secured victories in three of the four states that went to polls recently.
BJP leader Venkata Ramana Reddy has won the Kamareddy seat in Telangana, defeating Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and state Congress chief Revanth Reddy. Ramana Reddy won over KCR by a margin of 6,741 votes. He got a total of 66,652 votes and was 11,736 votes ahead of Revanth Reddy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda arrived at the party headquarters in Delhi. The BJP has raced past its rivals and is set to win in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) has sent his resignation to the Governor through his officer on Special Duty, sources told India Today. KCR is trailing behind BJP's Venkata Ramana Reddy in the Kamareddy seat and leading in the Gajwel seat. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is headed for a defeat as the latest trends show Congress leading in 64 of the total 119 seats in Telangana. The Congress has won in 34 seats while the BRS has won 16.
On BJP's lead in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Union Minister Arjun Munda says, "The people have faith in the BJP and PM Modi... Under PM Modi's leadership the BJP regained the trust of the people. The people of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh assured to bring the double engine government for the welfare of the states."
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath said he will meet the defeated party candidates and the MLAs who won and review "why we could not explain our point to the voters of Madhya Pradesh". He said that he accepts the decision made by the people in the election and the Congress will take up its responsibility as the Opposition in Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan won the Budhni Assembly seat by a margin of 1,04,974 votes, garnering a total of 1,64,951 votes.
The Election Commission of India suspended Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar for meeting state Congress chief Revanth Reddy before the results were declared, sources told India Today. Revanth Reddy is contesting the Assembly elections in the state from the Kamareddy seat. He is trailing behind the BJP candidate Venkata Ramana Reddy and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, after the 17th round of counting.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi celebrated the party's expected victory in Telangana and said it will fulfill the promise of making the state 'prajalu'. One of the primary themes of the Congress's campaign in Telangana was the portrayal of its struggle against the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as a battle between those who work for "doralu (landlords)" and those who work for "prajalu (common people)."
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur to submit his resignation. As per the latest trends, the BJP is set to defeat the ruling Congress and win the assembly polls in Rajasthan.
As per the data from the Election Commission at 5 pm, the BJP has crossed the majority mark in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Here are the latest numbers:
Rajasthan -- BJP won in 65, leading in 50
Madhya Pradesh -- BJP won in 40, leading in 124
Chhattisgarh -- BJP won in 4, leading in 52
On the other hand, the Congress has won 20 seats in Telangana and is leading in 43.
Mahant Balaknath from the BJP has won the Tijara seat in Rajasthan by a margin of 6,173 votes. He got a total of 1,10,209 votes and beat the Congress candidate, Imran Khan. Khan managed to get 1,04,036 votes.
Balak Nath had described his fight against Imran Khan as an India-Pakistan cricket match.
In the ongoing counting process for Rajasthan assembly elections, several Congress ministers find themselves trailing in the initial results:
Khajuwala: Govind Ram Meghwal
Kolayat: Bhanwar Singh Bhati
Sapotra: Ramesh Meena
Lalsot: Prasadilal Meena
Dig-Kumher: Vishvendra Singh
Civil Lines: Pratap Singh Khachariyawas
Sikrai: Mamta Bhupesh
Bansoor: Shakuntala Rawat
Kotputli: Rajendra Yadav
Bikaner West: BD Kalla
Anta: Pramod Jain Bhaya
Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao congratulated the Congress party for its win in Telangana and said, "Not saddened over the result today, but surely disappointed as it was not in expected lines for us." He added that he was grateful to the people of Telangana for choosing the BRS and allowing it to form government for two consecutive terms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets "The election results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh show that the people of India have faith only in the politics of good governance and development, their faith is in BJP. I heartily thank the family members of all these states, especially the mothers, sisters, daughters and our young voters, for showering their love, trust and blessings on the BJP..."
"Over the last few years, this support has only been increasing and this trend will continue in the times to come. Our bond with Telangana is unbreakable and we will keep working for the people. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of each and every BJP Karyakarta." tweets PM Modi
Following the Congress party's impending defeat in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "We humbly accept the mandate given by the people of Rajasthan. This is an unexpected result for everyone. This defeat shows that we were not completely successful in taking our plans, laws and innovations to the public."
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted to the election results across the four states and said, "The situation of the INDIA Alliance in the state elections, if the same continues in the future, then we will not be able to save ourselves."
He slammed ally Congress and said the party did not understand the ground situation in Madhya Pradesh.
Following the Madhya Pradesh assembly election results, a clash broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress workers in Shajapur. The incident occurred after Congress candidate Hukum Singh Karada faced defeat in the state assembly elections, leading to a volatile situation that prompted the police to employ lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the agitated crowds.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge thanked the people of Telangana for choosing the party. He also said the Congress party's in the remaining three states -- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh "have no doubt been disappointing, but with determination, we reaffirm our strong resolve to rebuild and revive ourselves".
"The Congress party fought a spirited campaign in all these four states," said the Congress chief.
Union Minister Smriti Irani speaks on BJP's sweeping victory, says Modi 'magic' worked across 'Hindi heartland'
Seven ministers in Chhattisgarh are trailing as per the Election Commision.
These include:
Deputy CM TS Singh Deo in Ambikapur,Ravindra Choubey in Saja,Mohammad Akbar in Kawardha,Shiv Kumar Dahariya in Arang,Jai Singh Aggrawal in Korba,Rudra Guru in Nawagarh,Amarjeet Bhagat in Sitapur.
NCP's ally in the bloc Congress is facing defeat in three states -- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the results will be analysed in the upcoming meeting on December 6.
Congress's Revanth Reddy roars in Telangana. BRS concedes defeat
Rajasthan Assembly speaker CP Joshi defeated in Nathdwara. BJP scripts end of Gehlot rule
BRS leader and Telangana minister KTR Rao congratulates Congress for their thumping win in Telangana."Not saddened over the result today, but surely disappointed", says Rao.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur: Congress turned Chhattisgarh into its ATM, did not fulfill its promises
BJP's clean sweep in three states while Congress gets one.
It's celebrations, sweets and crackers for BJP. Heartland sweep by BJP!
'Modi' chants ring the air in Rajasthan. Woman BJP supporters celebrate party's big win.
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla says, "Congress needs to introspect. Biggest reason for their loss in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is because they abused Sanatan Dharma and talked about OBC census".
Former CM and BJP candidate from Jhalrapatan, Vasundhara Raje leading by a margin of 51,484 votes after the 21st round of counting
Congress candidate from Tonk, Sachin Pilot leading by a margin of 5702 votes after the ninth round of counting
BJP on course to majority in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh; Congress ahead in Telangana
Congress captures South while BJP roars across heartland
Madhya Pradesh State Congress president and candidate from Chhindwara, Kamal Nath leading by a margin of 15,623 votes after the ninth round of counting
BJP's blockbuster show in three states. Celebrations galore in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
KCR trails from Kamareddy against Revanth Reddy, leads in Gajwel
BJP leader CT Ravi's jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi - Who is the biggest Panauti?
BJP with big lead in Rajasthan. Congress trails
'Laadli Behna' powering Shivraj Singh Chouhan's win in Madhya Pradesh. 'Mama' happy.
Amid BJP's big lead in three states, Congress calls for next INDIA bloc meet on December 6
BJP's clear win in Rajasthan by leading in 114 seats while Congress grabs 64
Congress on close toes even as BJP takes lead in Chhattisgarh
It's Saffron storm in 3 states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while Congress wrests on Telangana.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel trailing against nephew in Patan
BJP leading in 47 seats. Congress not far with 42 seat lead
BJP captures three states, Congress celebrate in Telangana as party races ahead
BJP all set to beat 'INDIA' bloc. Leading by 98 seats in Rajasthan
BJP bounces back and takes the lead in 50 seats while Congress trails.
Its a neck-to-neck fight in Chhattisgarh with BJP leading in 43 seats while Congress leading in 42 seats
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan set for stunning title defence as BJP bastion sees green with 153 seats lead
Congress leader Sachin Pilot fights back. Leads in Tonk
Victory bash at BJP headquarter to begin from 5 pm. PM Modi expected to reach headquarter at 6.30 pm to participate in the celebrations: Sources
BJP eyes big victory in Madhya Pradesh. Celebrations begin at CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence
BJP leading in 467 seats, Congress leading in 43 seats
Congress's Mohammed Azharuddin leading from Jubilee Hills
Initial trends in the counting of postal ballots suggest that Kamal Nath, senior leader of Congress and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is trailing in the Chhindwara Assembly Seat.
Security beefed up outside Congress's Revanth Reddy's residence, leading over KCR in Kamareddy.
Congress-BJP giving a neck-to-neck fight. Vasundhra Raje leading in Jhalrapatan
Congress crosses majority mark in Chhattisgarh. CM Baghel trailing in Patan.
Congress past half-way mark in Telangana. Tight fight between BJP-Congress in Rajasthan.
CM Baghel trailing in Patan, Chattisgarh. CM Gehlot leading in Sardarpura in Rajasthan.
Sachin Pilot trailing in Tonk. CM Gehlot leading in Sardarpura.
BJP post majority mark in Madhya Pradesh. Congress going strong in two other states - Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
BJP leading massively in Madhya Pradesh. Takes 138 Assembly seats
BJP trailing in Telangana with Congress taking the early lead in 63 seats and BRS grabbing 32 seats
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot leading from Sardarpura seat
Congress leading in three states. 59 seats in Telangana, 52 seats in Chhattisgarh, and 95 seats in Rajasthan
A close fight between BJP and Congress as BJP leading in 100 seats while Congress leading in 92 seats
Ashok Gehlot leading in Sardarpura in 4237 votes
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh leading in Budhni
Congress leading in 61 seats in Telangana and in 46 seats in Chhattisgarh
Congress leading in three states - Chhattissgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan
Congress on close heels, grabs 92 seats, while BJP leads in 95 seats
Madhya Pradesh: Congress leading. BJP close second.
Congress leading in Telanaga in early trends
BJP leading in Rajasthan. Ashok Gehlot leading in Sardarpur. Pilot, Raje leading in their rspective seats.
Tight fight between Congress and BJP in Chhattisgarh
In the Kanker Assembly, Congress is leading in the formation of postal ballots. In the Antagarh Assembly, Congress is leading and so in the Bhanupratappur Assembly seat.
Congress advancing in Chhattisgarh in 40 seats while BJP leading in in 29 seats
BJP leading in 66 seats while Congress ot behind by 57 seats
Congress leading in 31 seats, while BRS is leading in 19 seats. BJP manages to capture 4 seats
BJP way head by securing 77 seats whole Congress grabs 58 seats in Rajasthan
BJP leading massively in 43 seats while Congress in 16 seats
Congress taking early lead in Madhya Pradesh by leading in 23 seats while BJP not behind.
Congress dominating in 10 seats while BRS captures 7. BJP leading in 2 Assembly seats.
BJP moving ahead in Rajasthan with 20 seats while Congress trails.
BJP leading in 12 seats while Congress leads in 11 seats.
A neck-to-neck fight in Madhya Pradesh. BJP secures 12 seats while Congress leading in 18 seats
BRS has grabbed 2 seats, Congress 3 seats in Telangana. In Chhattisgarh BJP has grabbed 4 seats and Congress 3 seats. On the other hand, BJP is leading in 5 while Congress has grabbed 2 seats in Rajasthan. BJP has captured 4, while Congress leading in 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh.
Counting begins. First ball lands in Congress's court Madhya Pradesh.
Counting of votes to begin anytime now. Postal ballots to be counted first
The fate of 7,643 candidates from Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana will be revealed today. The counting of votes will commence at 8 am in these four states. The Congress and the BJP, two major political parties, are in a head-to-head competition in the Hindi heartland states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
The stage is all set for the D-Day in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. Counting of votes in these states will begin at 8 am