 "Officers counting votes")
The ruling Congress party has emerged as the single-largest party in the Northeastern state of Manipur, though with a reduced mandate this time around. The Congress won 26 in the 60-member house. With 31 as the halfway mark, Congress is clearly short of majority. The party had won 42 seats in previous elections in 2012.
However, the performance of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come as a big surprise in Manipur. The party, which till recently was never in the reckoning in Manipur’s politics, emerged as the second largest party, giving the Congress run for its money. More surprisingly, with around
