With numbers in place to form governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised the party's national president<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/loan-waiver-promise-tipped-scales-in-congress-favour-in-mp-183555"> Rahul Gandhi</a> to decide the chief ministers as senior leaders including top contenders held hectic parleys through the day and till late in night.

As <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-eyes-now-on-whom-rahul-gandhi-will-choose-as-his-chief-ministers-183485">suspense mounted on who would get the top job in the three states</a>, party leaders said the names could now be announced on Thursday after Gandhi meets the observers appointed for the three states and other senior leaders.

Gandhi, on the other hand, has also reached out directly to the party workers in the three states to know their top choice for the chief minister post through an internal mobile messaging app, party leaders said.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/assembly-election-results-2018-pm-narendra-modi-lost-but-rahul-gandhi-did-not-win-183412">PM Narendra Modi lost, but Rahul Gandhi did not win</a>

Among other two states that also went to polls, K Chandrashekar Rao would be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday with his party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, storming back to power for the second consecutive term and with a bigger mandate.&nbsp;

In Mizoram, where Mizo National Front has trounced Congress to wrest power of the hill state, the party president Zoramthanga would be sworn in as chief minister on Saturday.

In all the three states where Congress has emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 general elections, the newly-elected MLAs met in the presence of party's central observers, while party leaders also met governors in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to stake government formation claims.

In Rajasthan, the top contenders for the top post are Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both of whom won huge victories in their constituencies.

After a late night meeting, Pilot told waiting reporters that the process of getting the feedback was almost complete and the party high-command would take the final decision on Thursday.

He did not give any direct reply to a pointed question on whether he was ready to take the responsibility, saying "Let's see, what happens".

In Madhya Pradesh, where three-time Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhhan tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel, the Congress team that later met the governor to stake government claim included two top contenders for the top job -- Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Scindia also later told reporters that a final decision was expected Thursday.

The MLAs in Chhattisgarh also met late evening in Raipur in presence of the party's central observer Mallikarjun Kharge. There are as many four names doing the round for the state chief minister post -- Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, state party chief Bhupesh Baghel, leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly T S Singhdeo and senior leader Charandas Mahant.

The legislature party meeting in Jaipur lasted for almost seven hours, while Bhopal and Raipur also saw long-running meetings. 
The top leaders from the three states, as also the central observers, are expected to meet Gandhi on Thursday, while hectic lobbying was expected to continue through the night on Wednesday.

Central observers A K Antony for Madhya Pradesh and K C Venugopal for Rajasthan took the opinion of newly-elected MLAs, party leaders said.

Senior party leaders in the national capital said the meetings of MLAs and authorising the party chief is part of an established process within the party for selecting the chief ministers.

Belying predictions of exit polls, the Congress won convincingly in Chattisgarh, less so in Rajasthan, and scraped through with a wafer-thin lead in Madhya Pradesh, final results showed after the vote count on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi described the party's good showing in the Hindi heartland states as a victory over the BJP's "negative politics".

The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday's vote count, winning 99 seats. It's ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat for a total of 100 seats -- the required number to form government.

The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats. BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday pledged support for the Congress. The CPI(M) got two seats, Independents won 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission.&nbsp;

The Congress victory in Chhattisgarh ended the 15-year rule of the Raman Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party government. It won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the BJP got only 15 seats. A party needs to win 46 seats to form government in the state.

The Congress got 43 per cent of the total votes polled in the state, while the BJP got 33 per cent.&nbsp;

After a see-saw battle on Tuesday, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. The BJP, which had ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats.

Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties' support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where BSP has got two and SP one seat.

Congress has also claimed support of the four independents, all party rebels, who have emerged victorious.

In Mumbai, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the Assembly election results mark the "beginning of a change" and a "rejection" of the BJP-led government's policies.

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said people have brought "those flying in the air back to the ground".

With numbers in place to form governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised the party's national president Rahul Gandhi to decide the chief ministers as senior leaders including top contenders held hectic parleys through the day and till late in night.

With numbers in place to form governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised the party's national president Rahul Gandhi to decide the chief ministers as senior leaders including top contenders held hectic parleys through the day and till late in night. As suspense mounted on who would get the top job in the three states, party leaders said the names could now be announced on Thursday after Gandhi meets the observers appointed for the three states and other senior leaders. Gandhi, on the other hand, has also reached out directly to the party workers in the three states to know their top choice for the chief minister post through an internal mobile messaging app, party leaders said. Also read: PM Narendra Modi lost, but Rahul Gandhi did not win Among other two states that also went to polls, K Chandrashekar Rao would be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday with his party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, storming back to power for the second consecutive term and with a bigger mandate. In Mizoram, where Mizo National Front has trounced Congress to wrest power of the hill state, the party president Zoramthanga would be sworn in as chief minister on Saturday. In all the three states where Congress has emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 general elections, the newly-elected MLAs met in the presence of party's central observers, while party leaders also met governors in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to stake government formation claims. In Rajasthan, the top contenders for the top post are Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both of whom won huge victories in their constituencies. After a late night meeting, Pilot told waiting reporters that the process of getting the feedback was almost complete and the party high-command would take the final decision on Thursday. He did not give any direct reply to a pointed question on whether he was ready to take the responsibility, saying "Let's see, what happens". In Madhya Pradesh, where three-time Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhhan tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel, the Congress team that later met the governor to stake government claim included two top contenders for the top job -- Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Scindia also later told reporters that a final decision was expected Thursday. The MLAs in Chhattisgarh also met late evening in Raipur in presence of the party's central observer Mallikarjun Kharge. There are as many four names doing the round for the state chief minister post -- Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, state party chief Bhupesh Baghel, leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly T S Singhdeo and senior leader Charandas Mahant. The legislature party meeting in Jaipur lasted for almost seven hours, while Bhopal and Raipur also saw long-running meetings. The top leaders from the three states, as also the central observers, are expected to meet Gandhi on Thursday, while hectic lobbying was expected to continue through the night on Wednesday. Central observers A K Antony for Madhya Pradesh and K C Venugopal for Rajasthan took the opinion of newly-elected MLAs, party leaders said. Senior party leaders in the national capital said the meetings of MLAs and authorising the party chief is part of an established process within the party for selecting the chief ministers. Belying predictions of exit polls, the Congress won convincingly in Chattisgarh, less so in Rajasthan, and scraped through with a wafer-thin lead in Madhya Pradesh, final results showed after the vote count on Tuesday. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi described the party's good showing in the Hindi heartland states as a victory over the BJP's "negative politics". The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday's vote count, winning 99 seats. It's ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat for a total of 100 seats -- the required number to form government. The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats. BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday pledged support for the Congress. The CPI(M) got two seats, Independents won 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission. The Congress victory in Chhattisgarh ended the 15-year rule of the Raman Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party government. It won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the BJP got only 15 seats. A party needs to win 46 seats to form government in the state. The Congress got 43 per cent of the total votes polled in the state, while the BJP got 33 per cent. After a see-saw battle on Tuesday, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. The BJP, which had ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats. Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties' support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where BSP has got two and SP one seat. Congress has also claimed support of the four independents, all party rebels, who have emerged victorious. In Mumbai, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the Assembly election results mark the "beginning of a change" and a "rejection" of the BJP-led government's policies. The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said people have brought "those flying in the air back to the ground".

Congress MLAs authorise Rahul Gandhi to decide CMs for Chhattisgarh, MP, Rajasthan

Outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday tendered his resignation to the governor and accepted the mandate of the people of the state. Singh also took the responsibility for the party's loss in the state as the BJP had contested elections under his leadership.&nbsp;

"We respect the mandate that the public has given. I congratulate Congress on this success. I consider it my luck to serve the public of Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years," Singh told reporters.&nbsp;

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Raman Singh, outgoing CM of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chhattisgarh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chhattisgarh</a>: I take the responsibility for this defeat because the poll was contested under my leadership. We will act as a strong Opposition and work for the development of the state. <a href="https://t.co/THZtKnKMhI">https://t.co/THZtKnKMhI</a>
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"I take the responsibility for this defeat because the poll was contested under my leadership. We will act as a strong Opposition and work for the development of the state," the outgoing CM added.&nbsp;

The Chhattisgarh Governor Anandiben Patel has accepted the resignation of Raman Singh.

As per the latest Election Commission data, the Congress currently leads in 65 assembly seats while BJP trails with leads in 14 seats.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/imposing-prohibition-on-liquor-repairing-roads-on-agenda-mnf-chief-after-assembly-poll-win-183258">Mizo National Front on Tuesday won the state assembly elections</a> by bagging 26 out of 40 assembly seats. According to the official Election Commission data, Congress managed to bag five seats while the BJP got just one. Independent candidates captured eight assembly seats.

Congress seems to lead in Chhattisgarh with a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-election-results-2018-live-stakes-high-ahead-of-2019-general-elections-183025">close fight with the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh</a>. KC Rao's TRS is predicted to have a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-are-going-to-play-crucial-role-in-national-politics-kcr-183255">clean sweep in Telangana</a>.&nbsp;

Outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday tendered his resignation to the governor and accepted the mandate of the people of the state. Singh also took the responsibility for the party's loss in the state as the BJP had contested elections under his leadership.

Outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday tendered his resignation to the governor and accepted the mandate of the people of the state. Singh also took the responsibility for the party's loss in the state as the BJP had contested elections under his leadership. "We respect the mandate that the public has given. I congratulate Congress on this success. I consider it my luck to serve the public of Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years," Singh told reporters. Raman Singh, outgoing CM of #Chhattisgarh: I take the responsibility for this defeat because the poll was contested under my leadership. We will act as a strong Opposition and work for the development of the state. https://t.co/THZtKnKMhI — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018 × "I take the responsibility for this defeat because the poll was contested under my leadership. We will act as a strong Opposition and work for the development of the state," the outgoing CM added. The Chhattisgarh Governor Anandiben Patel has accepted the resignation of Raman Singh. As per the latest Election Commission data, the Congress currently leads in 65 assembly seats while BJP trails with leads in 14 seats. Meanwhile, the Mizo National Front on Tuesday won the state assembly elections by bagging 26 out of 40 assembly seats. According to the official Election Commission data, Congress managed to bag five seats while the BJP got just one. Independent candidates captured eight assembly seats. Congress seems to lead in Chhattisgarh with a close fight with the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. KC Rao's TRS is predicted to have a clean sweep in Telangana.

I take responsibility for this defeat, will forge strong opposition for state's development: Raman Singh 

As many as 13 of 19 ministers in the outgoing Vasundhara Raje government have lost the Assembly elections in Rajasthan as results and trends brought electoral reverses for the ruling BJP.

However, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her five cabinet colleagues have won their respective constituencies.

Raje (Jhalrapatan), Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria (Udaipur), Education Minister Vasundev Devnani (Ajmer North), Women and Child Development Minister Anita Bhadel (Ajmer South), Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore (Churu) and Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari (Rajsamand) have retained their respective seats.

The chief minister won the Jhalrapatan seat with a margin of 34,980 votes by defeating her nearest rival and Congress leader Manvendra Singh, the son of veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh.&nbsp;

She had won the seat in 2013 elections with a margin of 60,896 votes.

Among the ministers who lost the elections are: Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini (Anta), Food &amp; Civil Supply Minister Baboo Lal Verma (Baran-Atru), Revenue Minister Amra Ram (Pachpadra), Tourism Minister Krishnendra Kaur (Nadbai), Housing and Urban Development Minister Srichand Kriplani (Nimahera).

Also among those who lost are Water Resources Minister Rampratap (Hanumangarh), Social Justice Minister Arun Chaturvedi (Civil Lines), Industries Minister Rajpal Singh (Jhotwara), Cooperative Minister Ajay Singh (Degana), Gaupalan Minister Otaram Devasi (Sirohi) and Transport Minister Yoonus Khan (Tonk).&nbsp;

Khan lost the Muslim-dominated seat of Tonk to Pradesh Congress Committee President Sachin Pilot with a margin of 54179 votes. He was the only Muslim candidate fielded by the BJP in the state.&nbsp;

PHED Minister Surendra Goyal (Jaitaran) and Devsthan Minister Rajkumar Rinwa (Ratangarh) had turned rebel after the BJP denied them ticket and they contested the elections as Independents. Both have lost their respective seats.&nbsp;

As many as 13 of 19 ministers in the outgoing Vasundhara Raje government have lost the Assembly elections in Rajasthan as results and trends brought electoral reverses for the ruling BJP.

As many as 13 of 19 ministers in the outgoing Vasundhara Raje government have lost the Assembly elections in Rajasthan as results and trends brought electoral reverses for the ruling BJP. However, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her five cabinet colleagues have won their respective constituencies. Raje (Jhalrapatan), Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria (Udaipur), Education Minister Vasundev Devnani (Ajmer North), Women and Child Development Minister Anita Bhadel (Ajmer South), Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore (Churu) and Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari (Rajsamand) have retained their respective seats. The chief minister won the Jhalrapatan seat with a margin of 34,980 votes by defeating her nearest rival and Congress leader Manvendra Singh, the son of veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh. She had won the seat in 2013 elections with a margin of 60,896 votes. Among the ministers who lost the elections are: Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini (Anta), Food & Civil Supply Minister Baboo Lal Verma (Baran-Atru), Revenue Minister Amra Ram (Pachpadra), Tourism Minister Krishnendra Kaur (Nadbai), Housing and Urban Development Minister Srichand Kriplani (Nimahera). Also among those who lost are Water Resources Minister Rampratap (Hanumangarh), Social Justice Minister Arun Chaturvedi (Civil Lines), Industries Minister Rajpal Singh (Jhotwara), Cooperative Minister Ajay Singh (Degana), Gaupalan Minister Otaram Devasi (Sirohi) and Transport Minister Yoonus Khan (Tonk). Khan lost the Muslim-dominated seat of Tonk to Pradesh Congress Committee President Sachin Pilot with a margin of 54179 votes. He was the only Muslim candidate fielded by the BJP in the state. PHED Minister Surendra Goyal (Jaitaran) and Devsthan Minister Rajkumar Rinwa (Ratangarh) had turned rebel after the BJP denied them ticket and they contested the elections as Independents. Both have lost their respective seats.

13 of 19 Rajasthan ministers lose elections; CM Vasundhara Raje retains her seat

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said Tuesday the Congresss-led alliance, of which it is a part, needs to analyse and introspect on the grouping's "failure" in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-election-results-2018-live-stakes-high-ahead-of-2019-general-elections-183025">Telangana Assembly elections</a>.

"We have to analyse the factors that contributed to the success of TRS and failure of our alliance," said Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, senior leader of TDP, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

"We were expecting to get more number of seats. The results are not to our expectations," Reddy told PTI.

The alliance which also comprised the Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India, did not fare well, and "we have to analyse and introspect where it went wrong, and we have to work together", he said.

"We have to respect people's verdict", Reddy said, adding the alliance would now strive hard to see to it that the TRS government implements the "tall promises" made by the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu said that he respects the mandate of the people of Telangana.&nbsp;

"TDP respects the mandate of people of Telangana. Congratulations to Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Also, best wishes to all the newly elected public representatives of 5 states," Naidu said.

"People recognize that BJP has done nothing in last 5 yrs and moving towards alternative. People are with us in our fight against BJP. These 5 states results will help form a strong alternative to the BJP," he added.&nbsp;

According to the official Election Commission data, KC Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samiti leads on around 80 seats.&nbsp;

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said Tuesday the Congresss-led alliance, of which it is a part, needs to analyse and introspect on the grouping's "failure" in the Telangana Assembly elections.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said Tuesday the Congresss-led alliance, of which it is a part, needs to analyse and introspect on the grouping's "failure" in the Telangana Assembly elections. "We have to analyse the factors that contributed to the success of TRS and failure of our alliance," said Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, senior leader of TDP, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. "We were expecting to get more number of seats. The results are not to our expectations," Reddy told PTI. The alliance which also comprised the Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India, did not fare well, and "we have to analyse and introspect where it went wrong, and we have to work together", he said. "We have to respect people's verdict", Reddy said, adding the alliance would now strive hard to see to it that the TRS government implements the "tall promises" made by the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led party. Meanwhile, TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu said that he respects the mandate of the people of Telangana. "TDP respects the mandate of people of Telangana. Congratulations to Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Also, best wishes to all the newly elected public representatives of 5 states," Naidu said. "People recognize that BJP has done nothing in last 5 yrs and moving towards alternative. People are with us in our fight against BJP. These 5 states results will help form a strong alternative to the BJP," he added. According to the official Election Commission data, KC Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samiti leads on around 80 seats.

Congress-led alliance needs introspection on failure: TDP

The Mizo National Front on Tuesday won the state assembly elections by bagging 26 out of 40 assembly seats. According to the official Election Commission data, Congress managed to bag five seats while the BJP got just one. Independent candidates captured eight assembly seats.&nbsp;

Expressing happiness over MNF's victory, party chief Zoramthanga said that his first priority will be to "to impose a prohibition on liquor, repair roads and implement Social Economic Development Programme (SEDP) which is our flagship programme."

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Zoramthanga,MNF(President): We will not have any coalition govt either with BJP or any other ways because my party can form the govt on its own as we have got 26 seats out of 40. We're a part of NEDA(North-East Democratic Alliance)&amp;NDA but we wouldn't like to join Congress or UPA <a href="https://t.co/6oNlOMfnBm">pic.twitter.com/6oNlOMfnBm</a>
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Zoramthanga ruled out the possibility of an alliance and exuded the confidence of forming the government on own.&nbsp;

"We will not have any coalition government either with BJP or any other ways because my party can form the government on its own as we have got 26 seats out of 40. We're a part of NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance) and NDA but we wouldn't like to join," he added.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, incumbent Mizoram Chief Minister and Congress candidate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/five-time-mizoram-cm-lal-thanhawla-loses-both-seats-183249">Lal Thanhawla lost</a> from both his home turf Serchhip and Champhai South seat Tuesday, Election Commission sources said, news agency PTI reported.

Lal Thanhawla was defeated in Serchhip by the Zoram People's Movement's (ZPM) chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma by a margin of 410 votes, they said.

He also lost to TJ Lalnuntluanga, a political novice and Mizo National Front (MNF) nominee, by a margin of 1,049 votes in Champhai South constituency near the Myanmar border.&nbsp;

The Mizo National Front on Tuesday won the state assembly elections by bagging 26 out of 40 assembly seats. According to the official Election Commission data, Congress managed to bag five seats while the BJP got just one.

The Mizo National Front on Tuesday won the state assembly elections by bagging 26 out of 40 assembly seats. According to the official Election Commission data, Congress managed to bag five seats while the BJP got just one. Independent candidates captured eight assembly seats. Expressing happiness over MNF's victory, party chief Zoramthanga said that his first priority will be to "to impose a prohibition on liquor, repair roads and implement Social Economic Development Programme (SEDP) which is our flagship programme." Zoramthanga,MNF(President): We will not have any coalition govt either with BJP or any other ways because my party can form the govt on its own as we have got 26 seats out of 40. We're a part of NEDA(North-East Democratic Alliance)&NDA but we wouldn't like to join Congress or UPA pic.twitter.com/6oNlOMfnBm — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018 × Zoramthanga ruled out the possibility of an alliance and exuded the confidence of forming the government on own. "We will not have any coalition government either with BJP or any other ways because my party can form the government on its own as we have got 26 seats out of 40. We're a part of NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance) and NDA but we wouldn't like to join," he added. Meanwhile, incumbent Mizoram Chief Minister and Congress candidate Lal Thanhawla lost from both his home turf Serchhip and Champhai South seat Tuesday, Election Commission sources said, news agency PTI reported. Lal Thanhawla was defeated in Serchhip by the Zoram People's Movement's (ZPM) chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma by a margin of 410 votes, they said. He also lost to TJ Lalnuntluanga, a political novice and Mizo National Front (MNF) nominee, by a margin of 1,049 votes in Champhai South constituency near the Myanmar border.

After winning Mizoram, MNF chief says first priority is 'to impose prohibition, repair roads'

Counting of votes for the high-stakes assembly elections 2017 in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will take place on Saturday morning with trends expected to be available by 11 am.

By 12 noon, a final picture could emerge on who would be the major players in the five states.

Election Commission officials said the counting of votes commences at 8 am and will be completed by late evening.

Counting will take place at 157 centres-Punjab (53), Goa (2), UP (75), Uttarakhand (15) and Manipur (12). According to Election Commission guidelines, half-an-hour after the postal ballots are counted, the process of counting of EVM votes begins.

The &#39;ballot unit&#39; is switched on in the presence of senior poll officials and counting agents of candidates and the result command keyed in to get the results per machine.

Where a paper trail audit or &#39;voter-verified paper audit trail&#39; (VVPAT) has been used, the counting agent can call for a count of the paper slips in the drop box attached to the voting machine, but a final count is taken by the returning officer.

&nbsp;

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Heavy security outside a counting centre in Panaji <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Goa?src=hash">#Goa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults?src=hash">#ElectionResults</a> <a href="https://t.co/1lHZBj0k7D">pic.twitter.com/1lHZBj0k7D</a>
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&nbsp;

Once the results are declared, the names of the winning candidates will find mention in the gazette.

The gazette notification will initiate the process to form the next legislative assemblies in the states.

Exit polls by various news channels on Thursday had predicted a hung assembly in the key Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh where BJP would emerge as the single largest party, winning anywhere between 164 and 210 of the 403 seats.

Most polls also forecast a close fight between the Congress, which is seeking to return to power in Punjab after a hiatus of 10 years, and Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s AAP, making its debut in the assembly polls in the state.

They predicted victory for BJP in Uttarakhand, but the saffron party, though likely to lead the table in Goa, was projected to fall short of a majority in the tiny coastal state.

(PTI)

By 12 noon, a final picture could emerge on who would be the major players in the five states

Counting of votes for the high-stakes assembly elections 2017 in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will take place on Saturday morning with trends expected to be available by 11 am. By 12 noon, a final picture could emerge on who would be the major players in the five states. Election Commission officials said the counting of votes commences at 8 am and will be completed by late evening. Counting will take place at 157 centres-Punjab (53), Goa (2), UP (75), Uttarakhand (15) and Manipur (12). According to Election Commission guidelines, half-an-hour after the postal ballots are counted, the process of counting of EVM votes begins. The 'ballot unit' is switched on in the presence of senior poll officials and counting agents of candidates and the result command keyed in to get the results per machine. Where a paper trail audit or 'voter-verified paper audit trail' (VVPAT) has been used, the counting agent can call for a count of the paper slips in the drop box attached to the voting machine, but a final count is taken by the returning officer. Heavy security outside a counting centre in Panaji #Goa #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/1lHZBj0k7D — ANI (@ANI_news) March 11, 2017 × Once the results are declared, the names of the winning candidates will find mention in the gazette. The gazette notification will initiate the process to form the next legislative assemblies in the states. Exit polls by various news channels on Thursday had predicted a hung assembly in the key Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh where BJP would emerge as the single largest party, winning anywhere between 164 and 210 of the 403 seats. Most polls also forecast a close fight between the Congress, which is seeking to return to power in Punjab after a hiatus of 10 years, and Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, making its debut in the assembly polls in the state. They predicted victory for BJP in Uttarakhand, but the saffron party, though likely to lead the table in Goa, was projected to fall short of a majority in the tiny coastal state. (PTI)

India Assembly Elections 2017 Results: Counting of votes in 5 states to begin at 8 am