BJP close to forming Jharkhand govt., J-K heading for hung assembly

With the counting of votes of the recently concluded five-phased assembly elections underway on Tuesday, trends till 1.30 pm indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to form the government in Jharkhand, while Jammu and Kashmir is headed towards a hung assembly, with the BJP and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) running neck to neck in the state.

As per latest reports, the BJP is leading in Jharkhand with 41seats, a change of 18 since the 2009 state elections. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is the BJP's closest competitor, currently leading in 15 seats and having won two seats. Meanwhile, the former allies Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) have lost ground, currently leading in only nine and six seats respectively.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP and the BJP are the two leading parties, with the former having won five seats and leading in a further 26, while the BJP has won six seats and is leading in 20. Meanwhile, the Congress has won three seats and is leading in a further nine, while the incumbent National Conference has won four seats and is leading in eight more.

To form the government in Jharkhand, a party or an alliance will require 41 seats, while in Jammu and Kashmir, the golden number is 44.