Election results highlights: 3 Hindi heartland states turn saffron, Congress wins Telangana

Congress candidate from MP's Rau, Jitu Patwari trailing by a margin of 13,617 votes after the 11th round of counting, garnering a total of 56,863 votes so far.

Congress workers pour milk on a poster featuring Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party MP Rahul Gandhi and state party chief Revanth Reddy as the party continues its lead in the Telangana. As per the official EC trends, the party is leading on 57 of the total 119 seats in the state so far.

Former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad on Sunday took a veiled dig at the Congress and its alliance partners after their dismal performance in the assembly elections. He attributed the Congress's performance to the 'Sanatana Dharma' row kicked up by its ally Udaynidhi Stalin's 'eradication' remark. He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union minister Amit Shah's leadership.

With the BJP leading in counting of votes for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said people have blessed the party's "double-engine" government at the Centre and in the state because of its welfare and development policies.

Asked about the Congress' claim of coming to power in the state, Scindia quipped he heard that 'laddoos' were stocked and even posters and banners were pasted.

“I have always maintained that better wait for the result and am always confident of getting the people's blessings, and I bow before the entire population of the state for the BJP's success,” he said.

Reacting to the trends of the Election Commission of India, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that it is too early to say who is winning, the picture will be clear by 1 pm.

"According to the initial trends, BJP is leading in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and Congress is forming the government in Telangana. There is a close contest in Chhattisgarh. Therefore, I feel it is too early to say who is winning. The picture will be clear by 1 pm. We hope that Congress will win the elections," Bihar Deputy CM said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the people of the country trust only "Modi ki guarantee" as the Congress seems to have lost the mandate in the Hindi heartland- Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in 2023 Assembly polls.

Taking to X, Uttarakhand CM and BJP leader Pushkar Singh Dhami said that there is only one guarantee that is being trusted across the county.

"In India, people trust only one guarantee and that is 'Modi's Guarantee'," he wrote in a Hindi post on X.

Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta on Sunday said that 12 to 17 rounds of counting of votes have been completed and the final result is expected to be declared by 1.30 pm.

As per the trends displayed on the website of the Election Commission of India, the BJP was leading on 112 seats in Rajasthan and the Congress on 71 out of the 199 seats that went to polls on November 25.

The allegations against chief minister Bhupesh Baghel over Mahadev betting app has led to the defeat of Congress in Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

The BJP has crossed halfway mark of 46 in 90-member assembly of Chhattisgarh as star campaigner PM Modi targeted Baghel over corruption,job scam.

As per EC latest trends, BJP is leading in 54 seats and Congress in 35 seats. The halfway mark for the 90-member assembly of Chhattisgarh is 46.

On election results in 4 states, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh says, "This is the success of guarantee given by PM Modi. PM Modi does what he says...Rising above caste and religion, people voted for PM Modi..."

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Madhya Pradesh's Narsingpur, Prahlad Singh Patel leading by a margin of 9611 votes after the sixth round of counting, garnering a total of 34,629 votes so far.

Union Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Singh Tomar said to ANI, "BJP contested the elections with full strength and as a result, we've received this blessing from the people. I congratulate and thank all the workers. It is the victory of party workers, PM Modi's popularity, welfare schemes of state and central governments...I am an ordinary worker of BJP..."

Union Minister and BJP Rajasthan Incharge Pralhad Joshi says, "People have voted for BJP, positive commitment and the leadership of PM Modi...People have rejected Congress. Congress party has always been giving bogus promises, people have seen it in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh. So they have failed. That's why they have been rejected... I am very happy, we will cross at least 124 (seats) in Rajasthan..."

Madhya Pradesh Congress president and candidate from Chhindwara, Kamal Nath leading by a margin of 15,623 votes after the ninth round of counting, garnering a total of 57,895 votes so far.

On MP election results, Union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia in Bhopal says "Congress was preparing Ladoos and congratulatory posters were put up. While we were doing our work quietly...Ladli Behna scheme is a game-changer and the full credit for it goes to Shivraj Singh Chouhan."

Incumbent Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Budhni, Shivraj Singh Chouhan leading by a margin of 50,996 votes after the eighth round of counting, garnering a total of 70453 votes so far.

Incumbent Deputy Chief Minister and Congress candidate TS Singhdeo trailing in Ambikapur by a margin of 1623 votes after the fourth round of counting, garnering a total of 18240 votes so far.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "The people of Telangana have decided that there must be change, there must be change for progress, and development. He (Revanth Reddy) is the PCC president. He is the team leader. Our party will take the decision (on the CM's face). The election was fought on collective leadership. I do not want to comment on KCR or KTR, the people of Telangana have given them an answer..."

Incumbent Chattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress candidate Bhupesh Baghel leading from Patan by a margin of 1452 votes after the fifth round of counting, garnering a total of 26854 votes so far.

As the Election Commission of India results indicated a commanding lead of BJP in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday credited the double-engine BJP government for the party's success in the states.

As counting progressed, as per the ECI, the BJP was leading in 157 of 230 seats, Congress on 71 seats and Bahujan Samaj Party on one, at 11:48 am.

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh appeared confident that the BJP would form the government in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as the party crossed the half-way mark in all three states as per the latest election trends of the Election Commission of India.

Speaking to ANI on the latest trends putting the BJP ahead of the Congress in the three states, a BJP veteran said, "There is a clear support for the BJP in trends. The anger of people has been reflected in voting. The BJP will form the government in all three states with an absolute majority..."

Senior BJP leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh was leading over Congress' Girish Dewangan in Rajnandgaon seat by 13,279 votes after fourth round of counting of votes for the state assembly elections, as per the Election Commission.

Chhattisgarh BJP chief Arun Sao was also leading in Lormi seat against Congress' Thaneshwar Sahu by 9,106 votes after fifth round of counting, while former Union minister Vishnu Deo Sai was ahead in Kunkuri seat against Congress candidate UD Minj by 7,813 votes after eighth round of counting.

As BJP leads in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan, UP Deputy CM & party leader Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "...Today we can confidently say - Bharat ke mann mein Modi hain aur Modi ke mann mein Bharat. Be it Madhya Pradesh where BJP was already ruling and is coming back to power with a grand majority or Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh which the BJP has snatched away from Congress - the blooming of 'Lotus' means good governance and guarantee of development. People's faith in Congress has finished. Public has given a befitting reply to 'Chunavi Ram Bhakt' and 'Chunavi Hindu'..."

Results show people accept PM Modi's guarantee of delivering on guarantees, says BJP's poll in-charge for Rajasthan Pralhad Joshi.

CM Camp Office in Hyderabad wears a deserted look as the ruling BRS trails in the state election, as per official EC trends. Chief Minister and party chief K Chandrashekar Rao is currently at the CM residence. Congress is leading in the state on 68 of the total 119 seats.

Congress heavyweight Sachin Pilot has been leading in his Tonk assembly constituency after a minor setback in the first round of counting on Sunday in which he was trailing. The former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan later pulled through and took on BJP's Ajit Singh. Read more