That’s all for today.

Notably, these election results come with a couple of firsts. This is the first time a party has secured three consecutive terms in Haryana. This is also the first time a government will be formed in Jammu Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its statehood.

The attention has now shifted to who will be appointed as Chief Minister of the state and the UT and which candidates will make up the cabinet.

It also remains to be seen whether these results will impact the upcoming elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The Congress party has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, claiming an "unacceptable delay" in updating election trends on its website. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X, stating, "Like the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana we are again witnessing slowing down of uploading up-to-date trends on the ECI website. Is the BJP trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends?"

In response, the Election Commission dismissed these allegations as unfounded. In a firm statement, the EC "unequivocally rejects" the Congress's attempts to lend credibility to "irresponsible, unfounded, and uncorroborated malafide narratives."

In Jammu and Kashmir, where many exit polls predicted a close race, the National Conference (NC) made a remarkable return. NC chief Farooq Abdullah expressed optimism about forming the government, asserting, "It will not be 'police raj' here but 'logon ka raj'."

While the BJP showed strong performance in the Jammu region, it struggled in the Kashmir Valley. Despite the central government's efforts over the past five years to reshape the area into a 'Naya Kashmir' with a focus on peace and development, these initiatives did not translate into electoral support for the party in the region .

In Jammu and Kashmir, elections for the 90-member Assembly were conducted for the first time in a decade, resulting in a significant victory for the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance, which secured 48 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed with 29 seats, while Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed to win three seats. Unexpectedly, AAP candidate Mehraj Malik won in Doda, the only win for the party in both Haryana and J&K.

The BJP surpassed its 2019 performance, when it secured 40 seats and formed a coalition with the JJP. This improvement can likely be attributed to the party's approach of introducing new candidates and enhancing engagement with Other Backward Class (OBC) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.

Nayab Singh Saini, credited as a pivotal figure in the BJP's success in Haryana, has played a significant role in this campaign. After taking over from Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister, Saini, who belongs to the OBC community, became the prominent face of the party’s electoral strategy. His leadership is viewed as crucial in mitigating anti-incumbency sentiments and securing the BJP's third consecutive term in the state.

In Haryana, the Congress party faced significant setbacks despite predictions of a favorable outcome from exit polls. The reliance on Jat leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the neglect of Dalit leader Kumari Selja may have hindered their campaign. Additionally, the BJP's ability to consolidate non-Jat votes further weakened Congress's position. The party concentrated its efforts on appealing to the Jat community while overlooking the politically influential Ahirwal region, which includes key urban and industrial centers like Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, and Mahendragarh.

As the Election Commission of India continues to announce results for the remaining seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, here's a recap of the key outcomes. The ruling BJP in Haryana appears set to secure a historic third consecutive term, defying predictions from various exit polls. Notably, no party has achieved a third consecutive term in Haryana since the state's formation in 1966. Interestingly, this electoral battle was the first significant showdown between the two major national parties since the Lok Sabha elections.

It is likely that today's results could influence the political landscape ahead of upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The Aam Aadmi Party or AAP registered its first victory in J&K Assembly elections where its candidate Mehraj Malik defeated his nearest rival from the BJP in the Doda constituency by a margin of 4,538 votes.

To congratulate Malik, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal video called him. "The workers are very happy that now we have an AAP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Malik thanked him and also extended him an invitation to visit Kashmir on Thursday. "On 10th at 2 pm, we will wait for you. The public here will wait for you."

Kejriwal accepted his invitation and promised to visit on October 10. "I will come. I will come for sure on the 10th," he said.

The Kashmir Valley Assembly Election results show a clear rejection of separatist candidates, including those from Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, The Hindu reported.

Most candidates from these groups lost their deposits, indicating strong disapproval from voters. Notably, Aizaj Ahmed Guru, brother of Afzal Guru, faced a significant defeat in the Sopore seat, garnering only 129 votes—less than the 341 votes for the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option.

The AIP fielded 44 candidates, but prominent members like Firdous Baba and Sheikh Ashiq Hussain also failed to secure support. Jamaat-e-Islami presented four candidates and supported four more, but only Reshi managed to gain minimal backing, highlighting a broader lack of electoral support for these factions.

Recent data from the Election Commission reveals that voter turnout for the NOTA (None of the Above) option was higher in Jammu and Kashmir compared to Haryana. In the three-phase Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, 63.88% of eligible voters participated, with 1.48% selecting the NOTA option, according to the Hindu. In contrast, Haryana's NOTA usage remained below 2%, suggesting a reluctance among voters to opt for this choice. The NOTA option, introduced in 2013, is represented by a ballot paper marked with a black cross.

Speaker in the outgoing Haryana Assembly and sitting MLA from Panchkula Assembly Gian Chand Gupta lost to Congress’ Chander Mohan.

Gupta lost to Mohan by a margin of 1,997 votes. Mr. Mohan is the elder son of former Haryana Chief Minister late Bhajan Lal.

As pet the ECI data available at 5 pm, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 31 seats and is leading in 18 constituencies in Haryana. Congress is just behind the BJP by winning 30 seats and leading in just six.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal is leading in two seats and three Independent candidates won seats.

"Haryana poll result disappointing, Congress high command should assess reasons behind it," says Kumari Selja as BJP heads for victory.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said people have “put a stamp” on the government’s policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also thanked the voters while speaking to reporters.

“I give full credit to Modi ji. With his blessings, under his guidance, people of Haryana have put a stamp on the government’s policies,” Saini said.

He also thanked PM Modi for his leadership, senior leadership of the BJP and party workers for their hard work, which has “given us this victory”, Saini said.

Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Vinesh Phogat over the latter's victory in the Haryana assembly elections, saying she won but the party lost. Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers, said she would spread destruction wherever she goes.

"Many BJP candidates have won on 'jat' majority seats... The so-called wrestlers in the wrestler's agitation are not heroes of Haryana. They are villains for all the junior wrestlers also... If she (Vinesh Phogat) used my name to win, it means I am a great man who helped her win. She won but Congress lost... 'Wo jahan jahan jaegi, satyanaash hi hoga (she will spread destruction wherever she goes)'," he said.

As the Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to mark a power hat-trick in Haryana following today's poll results, BJP senior leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a gathering of the party workers.

As per an NDTV report, Modi might deliver a congratulatory address to the BJP workers at the party's national headquarters at 6 pm.

With 80% of votes counted in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, the race is proving to be much tighter than in 2019. Current data shows a very narrow margin between the frontrunners and their nearest competitors in several constituencies. In particular, Panchkula, Baroda, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, and Hodal are the five key seats where the difference between the leading candidate and the runner-up is under 1,000 votes, according to The Hindu.