Uttarkhand Goes To BJP: “Long Live Democracy,” Modi Tells Congress

Uttarakhand seems to have gone ahead with its cyclic change of power, with the voters giving an unprecedented mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time around.According to the results declared on Saturday, the BJP won 57 seats in the 70-member assembly, garnering a considerable 46.5 per cent of votes.The Congress, which was ruling in the state, got only 11 seats, though in terms of percentage, it got a respectable 33.5 per cent of votes, which is not far below its previous percentage of 33.79 per cent. But the percentage of votes did not translate into seats for the Congress.While the Congress' infighting can be blamed to some extent for the party's poor showing, the Modi wave seemed to have swept the hilly state like never beforePrime Minister Modi responded to Rahul’s message with a tweet.Harish Rawat has tendered his resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Speaking to the media after his resignation, Rawat said:Congress has lost under my leadership in Uttarakhand and I take full responsibility for the mandate.Speaking to CNN News 18, Vir Sanghvi said:What PM Modi has done is that he has stolen the Congress’ ideology, wrapped it with the saffron flag and people are buying it. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told NDTV that BJP’s win is a tectonic shift in politics.Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said:Those who are thinking of ridding India of Congress should peer into themselves. Congress thrives in people’s spirits.Politicians congratulated the BJP which has the clear lead in Uttarakhand.BJP has swept both Garhwal and Kumaon regions, according to Hindustan Times, with 44 percent votes. The Congress garnered 34 percent votes, while independents got 11 percent of the votes.Harish Rawat closed the gap but still lost to BJP’s Rajesh Shukla by 105 votes in Kichha. He also lost Haridwar (Rural) seat to BJP's Yatishwaranand by over 12,000 votesChief Minister Harish Rawat lost to BJP’s Yatishwaranand in Haridwar Rural, but is leading with 30,730 votes in Kichha.Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that BJP’s victory in Uttarakhand belongs to its people.Harish Rawat trailing behind BJP’s Yatishwaranand. In Kichha too, he’s trailing behind BJP candidate Rajesh Shukla.The BJP is now leading in 55 seats, while Congress is leading in 13 seats.BJP ahead in 48 constituencies as per trends from 62 out of 70 Assembly seats.Congress is now far behind the BJP with a lead only in 15 seats, while the BJP is leading in 52 seats.BJP is in the clear lead in 49 seats, while Congress is far behind with a lead in only 11 seats.Chief Minister Harish Rawat now trailing from Hardwar Rural seat.CNN News 18 calls Uttarakhand election, claims BJP has crossed the halfway mark with a lead in 41 seats and is set to form government in Uttarakhand.Trends for winners and losers expected to be clear around 11 AMElection Commission to count votes at 15 centres across UttarakhandCounting of votes begins 8 am68% turnout was recorded during polling in Uttarakhand on 15 February Watch this space for all the live updates.BJP has taken the lead in 18 seats, while Congress is lagging behind with a lead in 9 seatsBJP is leading in six seats in Uttarakhand, while Congress is leading in four seats.Congress and BJP are leading in one seat each in UttarakhandCounting of votes in the 5 states-Manipur, Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand and Goa begins.Counting of votes for the high-stakes assembly elections in Uttarakhand will take place on Saturday morning, with trends for winners and losers expected to be clear as early as 11 am. Election Commission officials said the counting of votes for the hilly state will commence at 8 am, across 15 centres in Uttarakhand, and will be wrapped up late in the evening.According to Election Commission guidelines, half an hour after the postal ballots are counted, the process of counting of EVM votes will begin.The 'ballot unit' will be switched on in the presence of senior poll officials.Once the results are declared, names of the winning candidates will find mention in the Election Commission’s gazette.Stakes are high for both the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the crucial 70 seat assembly polls. 68% voter turnout was recorded in the state which went to polls on 15 February on the back of a bitter political crisis in 2016.The Congress is, of course, hoping to emulate its performance from 2012, and is resting its hopes on the voters rejecting the BJP over the note ban drama. On the other hand, the BJP is hoping that it can reap the benefits of the political crisis that gripped the state in 2016. Uttarakhand saw a major revolt against Chief Minister Harish Rawat by his party MLAs, resulting in nearly two months of President’s rule.(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)