Gujarat, Himachal Election Results 2022 Live Updates: Party's high command to decide on Himachal CM, say Congress MLAs

The BJP was on Thursday poised for a landslide victory in Gujarat to retain power for a record seventh straight term but was behind the Congress in Himachal Pradesh which could go with the trend of alternative governments in the hill state. After the first four hours of counting of votes in the assembly elections in the BJP-ruled states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, early trends showed that the saffron party with a vote share of nearly 54 per cent was ahead in 152 out of 182 seats in the western state and could surpass its previous best showing of 127 seats in 2002 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister. Congress holds the all-time record of 149 seats that it had won in 1985 under the leadership of Madhavsinh Solanki. In Himachal Pradesh, early trends, which indicated a close fight, showed that the Congress was ahead in 37 of the 68 seats followed by the BJP, which was leading in 28 seats.

The Congress has surged ahead of the BJP leading on 37 out of the 68 seats while the ruling party has won one seat and is ahead on 27, according to early trends from Himachal Pradesh where counting of votes cast in the assembly polls is in progress. Independent candidates were ahead on three seats while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had fielded candidates on 67 seats, is yet to open its account, according to the Election Commission.

With emerging trends pointing at a massive lead for the BJP in the Gujarat assembly elections, despite the party being in power in the state for nearly three decades, defence minister and former party president Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that there is pro-incumbency in the coastal state."There is pro-incumbency in Gujarat. We are creating a new record in Gujarat as the people of the state have immense faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Rajnath Singh told reporters as BJP showed a clear lead in the western state.

Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh on Thursday exuded confidence that the assembly election results will be in favour of her party even as the counting of votes for 68 seats in the state was under way. Pratibha Singh, wife of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh, said the Congress is hoping to win at least 40 to 42 seats. Pratibha, who is the MP from Mandi, said issues raised by the Congress such as those pertaining to women, Old Pension Scheme and unemployment struck a chord with voters.

ormer Congress leader Hardik Patel, who quit the party in May this year and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was leading by over 21,000 votes against his nearest rival - Lakhabhai Bharwad- of Congress in Viramgam assembly constituency.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Gujarat assembly election results, wherein the ruling BJP has put up an impressive performance, was on expected lines, and added that people suspect whether there was a tacit understanding between the saffron party and the AAP. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut said had the AAP and other parties come together, formed an alliance or reached an understanding, then it would have been a tough battle for the BJP. "People have suspicion that it must have happened that you (the AAP) take Delhi and leave Gujarat to us (the BJP)," Raut added, alluding to a tacit understanding between the two parties.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Jamnagar North seat Rivaba Jadeja, who was earlier trailing at the third spot in the early hours of counting of votes, is now leading. According to the latest trends by the Election Commission, Rivaba - who is contesting against AAP's Ahir Karshanbhai Parbatbhai Karmur and Congress' Bipendrasinh Jadeja - is leading with 14,905 votes. The AAP candidate is placed at the second spot with 7,235 votes and the Congress candidate has received 5,288 votes.

Former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore is leading from Theog assembly seat in Shimla district with a narrow margin of 67 votes, according to initial Election Commission trends. The stakes are high for Rathore who is contesting for the first time. It was during his tenure as state Congress chief that the party won by-elections to the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and three assembly seats last year. Theog is witnessing a multi-corner contest with Rathore pitted against sitting MLA and lone CPIM candidate Rakesh Singha, and BJP's Ajay Shyam.

As the BJP makes a clear lead in the assembly elections in the state, parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi on Thursday said that the Gujarat model is being endorsed and accepted by people. "Gujarat model under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being endorsed and accepted by people since 2000-2001. The model that we are presenting before the nation is being accepted. I congratulate the people and BJP of Gujarat and our party workers. It's one of the biggest ever records in polling history," Joshi said on BJP's massive lead in Gujarat.

The party is now ahead in 154 seats while Congress is ahead in 17

BJP workers danced in joy as the saffron camp went into a festive mood as trends reflected the BJP was all set to return to power for the record seventh term in Gujarat. "It is a victory of the party's double-engine development agenda. The massive verdict reflects people's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. It is a victory of the agenda of development that the party has carried out in the state," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas told PTI.

Himachal Pradesh election result trends are indicating a very tight race between the incumbent BJP and Congress. At least on 5 seats, the lead margin is less than 200 votes and trends may reverse at any time. Then there are 4-5 independents who are set to win the elections. The majority mark in Himachal Pradesh is 35 in 68-member assembly.

The grand old party is ahead in 32 seats while BJP is still leading in 33. The contest is going down to the wire