Uttarakhand Live: Congress Wins 1 Seat and is Leading in 9

Speaking to CNN News 18, Vir Sanghvi said:

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told NDTV that BJP’s win it’s a tectonic shift in politics.

Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said:

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 votes

Chief 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 AM
  
• Election Commission to count votes at 15 centres across Uttarakhand
  
• Counting of votes begins 8 am
  
• 68% 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 seats

BJP is leading in six seats in Uttarakhand, while Congress is leading in four seats.

Congress and BJP are leading in one seat each in Uttarakhand

Counting 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.