Admin 
NEW DELHI: The BJP appears set to rule Maharashtra again in alliance with the Shiv Sena, but possibly with lesser numbers than expected. But the party is facing an uphill battle in Haryana, where Dushyant Chautala’s JJP could emerge as a possible kingmaker. As the counting of votes progressed and the trends became clear, BJP chief Amit Shah summoned Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar to Delhi. The party may not have it easy in Maharashtra either, where the Shiv Sena, buoyed by a hugely improved performance, is talking of a 50:50 division of cabinet berths and a turn at the Chief Minister’s post. The trends are seen as a wake-up call for the BJP, which contested the state elections on national themes. The counting of votes for bypolls in 17 states and one union territory is also being held today.
Here are the updates on election results 2019:
- In Haryana the BJP is Ahead in 40 of the State’s 90 Seats and the Congress is leading in 31. The majority mark is at 46. Four of ML Khattar’s ministers, state BJP chief Subhash Barnala and Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar are trailing. Mr Barnala has already offered to resign.
- The Congress, galvanised by the unexpected trends, has reached out to Dushyant Chautala, the chief of theb newly formed Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). “The way these trends are showing, it is clear people voted for change,” Mr Chautala told, “The keys to the next government will be in the hands of the JJP.”
- Congress’s Deepender Hooda said: “Want to tell Dushyant Chautala to come together with us. Each MLA of their party has been chosen to throw out BJP.” He also alleged that the BJP is trying to pressurise Independents for support and said if this continues, he would complain to the Election Commission.
- In Maharashtra, the BJP and its Shiv Sena are ahead in around 150 of the state 288 assembly seats But the tally is still is way below the 250 seats they were expecting. The BJP, particularly, fell short of expectations. The party was hoping to cross the majority mark on its own steam, but is leading in around 100 seats — way below its 2014 tally of 122. The Sena is heading for a tally of around 60. The majority mark lies at 145.
- As the leads indicated that the party is likely to deliver a standout performance, the Sena indicated that it will insist on the 50:50 formula during government formation. “It will be a BJP-Shiv Sena government,” senior party leader Sanjay Raut said. We will talk to Uddhav-ji, he will then speak with the Chief Minister. And what was agreed before the election, 50-50,” he added.
- Sources indicated that the Sena can even insist on dividing the 5-year tenure of the government, and occupy the Chief Minister’s office for two-and-a-half years.
- The Congress and its ally Nationalist Congress Party are ahead in 97 seats in Maharashtra. But the improved tally can be attributed to Sharad Pawar’s party, which has outperformed the Congress. Mr Pawar, 79, had single-handedly led the NCP charge as the factionalised Congress floundered.
- Votes are also being counted for by-polls held in 51 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 17 states and one union territory. The BJP and its allies have nearly 30 of these assembly seats, the Congress has 12. The rest are with regional parties.
- The BJP’s Campaign revolved national theses as the opposition attempted to highlight multiple local issues – unemployment, farm crisis, farmers’ suicides and the slowdown of the economy. That the opposition’s campaign looked lackluster was seen as the symptom of a changing election narrative where the focus is on national issues even when voters choose a local representative.
- The Congress is still struggling to find its feet after the devastating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent leadership vacuum as Rahul Gandhi quit the party’s top post. While the BJP deployed a galaxy of leaders — led by PM Modi and Amit Shah — to campaign. Rahul Gandhi addressed just seven rallies. His mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed none.
Enter the text or HTML code here