The counting of votes to the Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana began on Tuesday morning. The counting process began at 8 am and a three-tier security arrangement has been made at counting venues.
In Jammu, the Congress-National Conference alliance will lock horns with the BJP. Another major party, that is expected to play kingmaker is the PDP, considering that the exit polls have predicted a hung assembly, with a slight edge to the Congress-National Conference alliance.
The BJP is reportedly hoping to form a government with the help of Independents. The party has supported 15 independent candidates in the Kashmir Valley, along with smaller Kashmir-based parties. The BJP is hoping to emerge as the largest party in Jammu and Kashmir with at least 35 seats.
The majority mark to form the government in the Union Territory is 46, However, none of the parties managed to clear the mark in exit poll predictions.
Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal said 93 counting centres have been set up across 90 assembly constituencies in 22 districts. While two counting centres have been set up at Badshahpur, Gurugram, and Pataudi assembly seats, one centre each has been established for the remaining 87 constituencies.
The state is witnessing a two-pronged fight with the ruling BJP taking on Congress. Other parties in the fray include Aam Aadmi Party, INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party.
The Congress is hopeful of wresting power from the BJP and exit polls are in its favour. Most exit polls predict a Congress sweep but the BJP state leadership led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has rejected the pollster’s predictions and is hopeful of forming a new goverment.