Votes will be counted today for the assembly elections in Haryana – where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a straight third term – and Jammu and Kashmir, which voted in an assembly election after 10 years. It is a largely bipolar contest between the BJP and the Congress in Haryana, where the polling for the 90 seats was held on October 5. Several exit polls have predicted a clear majority for the Congress in the state.
In Jammu and Kashmir, which voted in three phases (September 18, September 25, and October 1) and also has 90 assembly constituencies, the main fight is among the BJP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the alliance of Congress and National Conference (NC).
J&K voted in its first assembly elections since 2014, first as a Union Territory and first after the removal of Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state special status. Statehood has been a major issue in the elections and its restoration has been promised by the BJP, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Other parties that can play a key role in Jammu and Kashmir, where exit polls have predicted a hung house, are People’s Conference, Democratic Progressive Azad Party and Apni Party.