The Dushyant Chautala-led JJP and the Independents are likely to play a key role in government formation in Haryana as the BJP and the Congress do not seem to attain majority on its own and remained locked in a tense fight.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had set a target of winning 75 seats in the 90-member assembly, has won 17 seats so far and is leading in 22. The Congress has won 13 seats and is leading in 19 constituencies.
The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which fought its maiden assembly polls, is ahead in two seats and has won eight. Four Independent candidates have registered victory while three are leading in the race.
If the trend holds, former deputy prime minister Devi Lal's great grandson Dushyant Chautala and the Independents are likely to emerge as kingmakers.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is ahead in just one seat of Ellenabad where Abhay Singh Chautala is the incumbent legislator. Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) president Gopal Kanda registered a win from Sirsa seat.
With the Haryana assembly polls heading for a fractured mandate, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda urged non-BJP outfits on Thursday to join hands.
"This mandate is against the BJP. The JJP, INLD and others, including the Independents, should join hands with the Congress to keep the BJP at bay," he told reporters in Rohtak.
Hooda alleged the administration was putting pressure on the Independents at the behest of the BJP and not allowing them to move freely.
Commenting on the results and trends so far, JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said, "This shows there was huge anti-incumbency against the (Manohar Lal) Khattar government."
Asked whom would his party support in the event of a hung assembly, the JJP leader said, "It is too early to say anything. We will first summon a meeting of our MLAs, decide who would be our leader in the House and then take it further."
Congress candidate and former BCCI chief Ranbir Singh Mahendra is
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