New Delhi: The stage is set for the results of the 2024 assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, which will be the first major electoral results after the recent Lok Sabha elections. Counting of votes will begin at 8 am on October 8. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by electronic voting machine (EVM) votes.
As political parties wait for the results with bated breath, all eyes will be on the pollsters whose exit poll predictions will be tested with the actual results. The results are likely to reflect broader political sentiments as parties gear up for the upcoming election battle in Maharashtra, Jharkhand. And Delhi.
High-stakes Jammu and Kashmir elections: Congress-NC, PDP, BJP in tussle
The election for the 90-seat Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is particularly historic as it is the first election after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which has significantly changed the political landscape of the region.
Exit polls are indicating a competitive race between the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance and the BJP, with forecasts suggesting that the alliance may get around 43 seats, still 3 seats short of the majority mark of 46 seats.
On the other hand, BJP is expected to win 27 seats, while PDP and other parties are projected to win 7 and 13 seats respectively.
The BJP’s performance will be closely scrutinized as it looks to further establish itself in the region after first forming a coalition government with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after 2014 were held in three phases, in which voting was held on 24 seats in the first phase, 26 in the second and 40 seats in the third. The fate of 873 candidates competing for a seat in the 90-member House has been decided and will be revealed by Tuesday evening. Voting was 63.45%, slightly lower than the 65.52% recorded in the 2014 assembly elections.
Three-tier security arrangements have been made for counting of votes in Jammu and Kashmir.
As political parties assessed their prospects, the administration was busy finalizing arrangements, including security measures, at designated centers in all 20 district headquarters.
Election Commission officials have said a three-tier security arrangement has been put in place at all counting centers to ensure smooth proceedings in the restive border Union territory, which has been a subject of tension for a long time and has been witness to frequent incidents of terrorism, insurgency and infiltration. -Many incidents have been observed. From across the border.
Top political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir in the race
Prominent candidates in the fray include NC leader Omar Abdullah, People’s Conference’s Sajjad Gani Lone, State Congress Committee President Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP state president Ravindra Raina.
Other notable contestants are AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmed Mir, PDP leaders Waheed Para and Iltija Mufti, Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, CPI(M) stalwart Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami and former deputy chief ministers Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tara Chand.
Two-sided fight in Haryana
Despite facing anti-incumbency sentiments in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming to gain power for the third consecutive time. Meanwhile, boosted by exit polls indicating a possible comeback, the Congress is keen to regain power after being in opposition for a decade.
Other regional players like Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) may play a spoiler role in this hotly contested election.
https://toi-infographics.indiatimes.com/graphs/Np8dM/5/
Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Aggarwal has confirmed that all necessary preparations, including security arrangements, have been made for the counting process to begin at 8 am.
Voting in Haryana took place on 5 October. Voters with more than 2 crore registered voters cast their votes in all 90 constituencies in the state. Initially, voting was planned to take place on 1 October, but the Election Commission later decided to postpone the date to 5 October.
There was 67.9% voting in the election.
First big contest between BJP vs Congress after Lok Sabha elections
haryana elections The Lok Sabha elections saw the first major direct contest between the BJP and the Congress, and the winning party will use the result to build a narrative in its favor for the upcoming elections in other states.
Elections were also held in Jammu and Kashmir along with Haryana, but there was a multi-cornered contest instead of a direct fight between Congress and BJP on most of the seats.
https://toi-infographics.indiatimes.com/graphs/g1kyC/5/
According to exit polls, Congress is set to make a victorious return to power in Haryana after a decade-long gap.
The party is projected to get around 55 seats – easily crossing the majority mark of 46 seats – while the BJP is expected to win around 27 seats. INLD is expected to get 2 seats, JJP 1 seat and others 5 seats.
