Chandigarh, October 24: Seven ministers are trailing as both the ruling BJP and the Congress are locked in a tough contest on Thursday with no party looking set to attain majority on its own in the 90-member assembly, according to the latest trends.
The BJP, which had set a target of winning 75 seats ahead of the polls, is leading in 36 seats, while the Congress is ahead in 33 constituencies. The fledgling Jannayak Janta Party, which fought its maiden assembly polls, is also ahead in 10 seats.
If the trends hold, the JJP could likely emerge as the kingmaker and hold the key to formation of the next government.
The Indian National Lok Dal is ahead in two seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Loktanter Suraksha Party are leading in one constituencies each, according to the latest trends.
JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said “this shows there was a huge anti-incumbency against the Khattar government”.
Asked about which party the JJP give support, he said: “It’s too early to say anything. We will first summon a meeting of our MLAs, decide who would be our leader in the House and then take it further.” Dushyant Chautala took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Mission 75”, saying the saffron party would fall way short of their target. “People of Haryana want change,” he told reporters.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has attained a comfortable lead over his nearest Congress rival from the Karnal constituency.
In what appears to be a setback to the BJP, seven of its ministers, assembly Speaker and state party chief are trailing.
The ministers include Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu, O P Dhankar, Kavita Jain, Krishan Lal Panwar, Manish Grover, Krishan Kumar Bedi.
Speaker Kanwar Pal, a BJP legislator from Jagadhri, and state BJP president Subhash Barala, who is seeking re-election from Tohana, are also trailing, according to the trends.
Among the sportspersons fielded by the BJP, former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh and wrestler Babita Phogat are leading, while wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt is trailing.
Senior minister and five-time legislator Anil Vij is leading from Ambala Cantt.
Among the Congress candidates, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and party leaders Kuldeep Bishnoi and Kiran Choudhry are leading in their respective constituencies.
Commenting on the initial trends, Hooda exuded confidence that Congress would form the government in the state.
As the trends showed no clear winner, state Congress chief Kumari Selja said the people of Haryana had rejected the ruling BJP and was ready to “embrace a new dawn of justice”.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, who was initially trailing, is now ahead with a slim margin of 293 votes in the Kaithal constituency.
Other senior leaders of Congress who were ahead include Geeta Bhukkal, Raghubir Singh Kadian and Capt Ajay Yadav’s son Chiranjeev Rao.
JJP’s Dushyant Chautala has attained a comfortable lead over sitting BJP rival Prem Lata from the Uchana Kalan segment. Lata is the wife of former Union minister Birender Singh.
Raj Kumar Saini, chief of the Loktanter Suraksha Party, is ahead in the Gohana segment.
Congress candidate and former BCCI chief Ranbir Singh Mahendra was trailing from Badhra constituency, where the JJP’s Naina Chautala is ahead. —PTI
LIVE UPDATES
*Dadri: Wrestler Babita Phogat trails in Dadri assembly constituency in Bhiwani. She is on third position behind independent Sombir Sangwan and JJP Satpal Sangwan.
*Panipat City: BJP leads with 33,137 votes after 11th round.
*Israna: Congress candidate leads with 19670 after 14th round.
*Samalkha: Congress leads with 11,727 votes after 17th round.
*Sadhaura (Yamunanagar): Congress candidate Renu Bala leads by 14,769 votes
*Nilokheri: BJP candidate Bhagwan Dass Kabirpanthi leads by 2,332 votes
*Karnal: Manohar Lal Khattar leads by 28,352 votes
*Tigaon 12th round: BJP- is at 57,795 votes, INC at 29,332
*Badkhal 8th round: INC is at 30,635 votes, BJP 28,541.
*Sadhaura (Yamunanagar): Congress is at 36,259 votes, BJP at 24, 361
*Karnal: After eighth round, Manohar Lal Khattar leads by 25,101 votes. BJP: 40,857, Congress: 15,756
*Jhajjar: BJP’s OP Dhankar trails by 8,300 votes from Badli
*Samalkha: Congress candidate leads by 11,727 after 13th round.
*Kalka: Pardeep Chaudhary of the Congress wins by more than 6,000 votes defeating sitting BJP MLA Latika Sharma
*Assandh: BSP candidate from Assandh, Narinder Singh, leads by 1,210 votes
*Pardeep Chaudhary of Congress trailing by 700 votes in Kalka
*Jhajjar: Congress’s Geeta Bhukkal leads by 4,600 votes over BJP’s Rakesh Kumar
*Congress leader Kiran Chaudhary leads by 12,000 votes in Tosham
*Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda leads by 8,505 votes
*Kurukshetra: Congress candidate Ashok Arora leading by 1,200 votes in Thanesar
*Karnal: CM Manohar Lal Khattar leads by 11,211 votes after fourth round
*Karnal: After third round BJP candidate Kabirpanthi leads by 448 votes from Nilokheri
*Karnal: After fourth round Independent candidate and BJP rebel Sanjay Mehla leads in Assandh by 360 votes
*Jogiram Sihag of JJP leads by 1,615 votes in Barwala in Hisar. BJP 2,967, JJP 4,582
*Panipat: State Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar trailing by 3,906 votes after third round in Israna
*Dushyant Chautala leads by 18,445 votes in Uchana Kalan
*Jhajjar: Congress’s Geeta Bhukkal leads by 2,560 votes over the BJP after 4th round
*Karnal: Independent candidate Sanjay Mehla leads by 173 votes
*Rewari: BJP leads from Kosli and Bawal and trailing from Bawal (reserve)
*Radaur, after round 7, BJP 5,126, Congress 6,520
*Jhajjar: BJP’s OP Dhankar trails by 3,986 votes from Badli after 4th round
*Faridabad after 2nd round: Narender Gupta 6,780, Lakhan Singla 8,466. Tigaon after 4th round: BJP 17,933; Congress 9,729
*BJP leads on all five seats in Karnal
*Radaur (Yamunanagar): Congress 3,679: BJP 2,393
*Congress candidate leads in Dabwali
*Jhajjar: From Beri Raghuvir Singh Kadian leads by 3,261 votes over the BJP
*Panipat: Krishan Lal Panwar trailing by 2,489 votes in Israna Assembly segment of Panipat
*Sadhaura (Yamunanagar) round 1: Congress 4,768; BJP 3,255
*Karnal: After third round, CM Manohar Lal Khattar leads by 7,047 votes. BJP: 14,030; Congress: 6,983; JJP: 548
*Gian Chand Gupta of BJP leading in Panchkula by 634 votes in second round
*BJP state president Subhash Barala trailing by 6,800 votes in Tohana
*Yamunanagar: round 1: INLD 4,496; BJP 2,443
*Jhajjar: OP Dhankar trailing from Badli after 4th round
