New Delhi, October 22: The Congress will form governments in Maharashtra and Haryana, retaining power with slightly reduced numbers, while it was poised for a Congress ahead in all three states
clean sweep in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Congress, along with its ally NCP, was poised to retain power in Maharashtra as it was leading in 134 constituencies having already bagged about 14 seats in the 288-member Assembly.
In the 288-member Maharasthra Assembly, Congress-NCP combine is leading in 137 seats as against Shiv Sena-BJP coalition which is ahead in 100 seats. The Raj Thackeray-led MNS is leading in 15 constituencies.
HARYANA
Congress is set to retain power in Haryana having won seven seats results of which were declared while the ruling party was leading in 30 of the 67 constituencies the trends of which were available following the counting of votes for the 90 member state assembly. The INLD has, so far, won three seats and Independents/Others have won one seat.
Former chief minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala defeats Haryana’s finance minister and senior Congress leader Birender Singh by a narrow margin of 621 votes from Uchana Kalan assembly constituency.
Congress’ Savitri Jindal, mother of noted industrialist and Lok Sabha MP Navin Jindal, retained the Hisar assembly seat by a margin of 14,728 votes. She defeated her nearest rival Gautam Sardana,(Independent).
Venod Sharma (Congress) retained the Ambala City seat with a margin of 35,550 votes by trouncing his nearest rival Charanjeet Kaur of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). Congress’ Kuldeep Sharma also won the Ganaur seat. Congress heavyweight Randeep Surjewala retained his seat.
Of the 67 seats for which trends were available Congress, which needs 45 seats to retain power, was leading in 30 seats and Om Parkash Chautala led INLD, which faired badly in the recent Lok Sabha elections, was leading in 18 constituencies.
Indian National Lok Dal Secretary General and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Chautala wins from Dabwali assembly constituency defeating Dr K V Singh of the Congress by a margin of 12,108 votes.
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj (INLD) has lost to D K Bansal (Congress) from Panchkula while HJC-BL President Kuldeep Bishnoi was ahead over Krishan Gopal Tyagi (INLD) from Adampur.
Three Independents Sukhbir Singh, Sultan Singh and Prahlad Singh won the Gurgaon, Pundri and Fatehabad assembly seats defeating nearest Congress rivals. Independents were leading in nine other constituencies.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
The ruling Congress won eight seats in addition to three it got uncontested, while Trinamool Congress which contested for the first time in the state bagged one as counting was taken up for the 60-member House this morning.
The Congress was also leading in eleven seats, People’s party of Arunachal in two and an independent in one.
The Congress had won three seats uncontested. Chief minister Dorjee Khandu was declared elected unopposed from Mukto, besides Jambey Tashi from Lumla and Tsewang Dhondup from Tawang.
Congress state president Nabam Tuki won the Sagalee seat, defeating his nearest NCP rival Tad Tana by 3,692 votes.
Home minister Jarbom Gamlin won the Liromoba seat, defeating Bai Gadi of Congress by 3,892 votes.
Industries minister Tanga Byaling won the Nacho seat after defeating his nearest BJP rival Ajit Nacho by 3,826 votes.
Congress candidate Kaikuo Kri won the Tezu seat defeating Nakul Chai (Trinamool Congress) by 3,845 votes.
MAHARASHTRA
The Congress-NCP alliance, which had won 140 seats in the last elections, may end up with almost the same figure and may not have problems in forming the government with the support of rebels of both the parties and independents.
Affected vastly by the presence of Raj Thackeray-led MNS, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine has managed to be ahead in only 84 seats, far behind its 2004 tally of 116 seats. Shiv Sena won 2 seats and was ahead in 41 seats, while BJP bagged one seat and was leading in 46 seats.
With NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal floating the idea of rotating the post of Chief Minister, senior Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh said there was no doubt about his party getting the Chief Ministership in Maharashtra
“Whatever the question raised, I think the issue has been clarified by NCP chief Sharad Pawar that the chief minister will be from Congress,” Deshmukh said.
He was responding to a question on Bhujbal’s idea of rotating the post of chief minister in Maharashtra between Congress and ally NCP.
“I don’t see any controversy on the issue in the wake of the clarification given by the NCP high command,” he said.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) was leading by 1,739 votes at the end of first round of counting at Yeola assembly constituency in Nashik district. His son Pankaj is leading in Nandgaon constituency.
In Alibaug, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Meenakshi Patil is leading over Madhu Thakur of Congress after first three rounds of counting.
In Karjat constituency of Raigad district, Suresh Lad of NCP is ahead of Sena candidate Devendra Satam.
From Pen seat, Congress candidate Raviseth Patil is ahead of PWP candidate Dhairsheel Patil.
In Shrivardhan constituency, NCP’s Sunil Tatakare is leading over Shiv Sena candidate Tukaram Surve and in Mahad, Sena nominee Bharat Gogawale is ahead of NCP candidate Manik Jagtap.
—Agencies