The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently leading in the highly significant Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, a seat that holds particular importance due to its connection with one of the most-visited Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. According to the Election Commission, as of 10:24 PM, BJP candidate Baldev Raj Sharma is ahead by 1,570 votes, receiving approximately 4,400 votes in total.
Independent Candidate Trails Behind
Independent candidate Jugal Kishor is trailing behind Sharma with 2,823 votes. At 10:30 AM, Kishor had already fallen short by 1,570 votes, placing him in a distant second place. The Congress candidate, Bhupinder Singh, has made little headway, having garnered only 507 votes by this time, marking a weak performance for the party in this constituency.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat is critical for the BJP, not just due to its religious significance, but also as a reflection of the party’s influence in this pivotal region. A victory here would bolster the BJP’s standing among its core supporters, particularly those drawn to its focus on Hindu cultural and religious issues.
BJP Faces a Tough Fight in Other Regions
Despite its lead in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, the BJP faces significant challenges in other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. In a surprising turn during the 2024 general elections, the Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad claimed victory in the Faizabad seat, which includes the historic city of Ayodhya—home to the newly inaugurated Ram Temple, a key symbol for BJP’s religious-nationalist agenda. This loss was seen as a major embarrassment for the BJP.
The party is also trailing in several constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir, a region where the National Conference (NC) and Congress have built a strong alliance. As results unfold, it is clear that the BJP’s influence may be waning in these areas.
Congress and BJP Lock Horns in Haryana
Meanwhile, in Haryana, the election battle is more evenly matched. The Congress initially surged ahead, crossing the crucial halfway mark of 46 seats. However, the BJP quickly closed the gap, setting the stage for a neck-and-neck race. Both parties are vying for dominance as the final results inch closer.
The competition in Haryana has been more intense than expected, with the BJP giving the Congress a tougher fight than pre-election predictions had anticipated. The final results in Haryana are likely to have a significant impact on the political landscape of the state.
What Exit Polls Predicted for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana
Exit polls had largely anticipated the outcomes we’re seeing unfold. In Jammu and Kashmir, exit polls projected that the NC-Congress alliance would outperform the BJP. According to CVoter’s projections, the BJP was expected to win 27-32 seats out of the 43 seats available in the Jammu region, with the NC-Congress securing 11-15 seats, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) taking 0-2, and others capturing 0-1 seats.
In Kashmir, the NC-Congress alliance was predicted to take the lion’s share of the seats, with 29-33 out of 47. The BJP was expected to win just 0-1 seats, while the PDP was predicted to secure 6-10 seats. Other regional parties and independents were forecast to take 6-10 seats. Overall, the NC-Congress alliance was projected to win 40-48 out of 90 seats, leaving the BJP with 27-32 seats, the PDP with 6-12, and others with 6-11.
A party or alliance needs at least 46 seats to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, making the NC-Congress alliance the frontrunner, based on these predictions.
