New Delhi: The Congress has wrested Chhattisgarh and was leading in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan – all BJP states -- as votes get counted in the Assembly elections.

The BJP was in power in Rajasthan last term and has ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh since 2003.





K Chandrasekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi has swept Telangana and is set to form the government.

The Congress has, however, suffered reverses in Mizoram, the only state in the Northeast not ruled by the BJP. The Mizo National Front is the clear winner this time.

Madhya Pradesh: The fight here was a nail-biter between the Congress and the BJP the whole day, but the Opposition managed to get a slim lead by early evening. The BJP has ruled MP since 2003. It had a significant majority of 165 seats in the 230-seat Assembly in 2013. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan hopes for a fourth term in office is fast diminishing, but it is to his credit that the BJP gave such a close fight while burdened with a 15-year anti-incumbency.

Leads: Congress -- 116, BJP -- 104, BSP -- 4, Others -- 6. (Seats: 230)

Rajasthan: Rajasthan, which alternates between the Congress and the BJP, has true to form voted for the Congress, but the state has not given the party a clear mandate as predicted by all exit polls. The BJP has given a good fight, and though, Congress is emerging as the single-largest party, it may need allies to form government.

Leads: Congress -- 102, BJP -- 72, BSP -- 5, Others -- 20. (Seats: 199)

Chhattisgarh: This state too has been ruled by the BJP since 2003, but the incumbent party is way behind the Congress this time. In fact, leads show the Congress is already above the half way mark of 46 in this 90-seat Assembly. The Ajit Jogi-Mayawati combine has also done well.

This was a prestige battle for three-term Chief Minister Raman Singh of the BJP and the Opposition Congress' fight for resurgence. This time, the coalition between Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former chief minister Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and Communist Party of India (CPI) added another dimension to the electoral politics of the state which has been dominated by the BJP and the Congress.

Leads: Congress -- 67, BJP -- 15, BSP+ -- 7, Others -- 1. (Seats: 90)

Telangana: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi is set to form the government in the state with a clear majority.

Maiden polls for the Assembly were held on December 7 with a voter turnout of 73.20 per cent. The previous polls were held in the united Andhra Pradesh. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The Assembly polls in Telangana were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year, but the House was dissolved on September 6 as per a recommendation by the state Cabinet.

Leads: TRS -- 84, Congress -- 24, BJP -- 3, Others -- 8. (Seats: 119)

Mizoram: The Mizo National Front has taken a clear lead over incumbent Congress, according to trends.

Mizoram was the last bastion of the Congress in the northeast. In the 2013 elections, the Congress had won 34 seats, while its main opposition the Mizo National Front (MNF) got five seats and the Mizoram People's Conference bagged one seat. This time, Congress' two-term chief minister Lal Thanhawla has lost both from Serchhip and Champhai South. The Congress and the MNF have ruled Mizoram since 1987. The BJP had set its eyes on the state this time. All other northeastern states are now ruled either by the saffron party or others supported by it.

Leads: MNF -- 25, Congress -- 6, BJP -- 1, Others -- 8. (Seats: 40)

Much was at stake for the BJP in these results that are seen as the semi-finals to next year’s general elections in April or May. The BJP came to these polls with significant reverses in Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls held since 2014. In the last bypolls on May 28, across 11 states, the Opposition had picked up 11 of the 14 seats, while the BJP got 3. The BJP’s strength in the Lok Sabha has also come down to 272 from 282 in 2014.

A resurgent Congress has everything to be happy about with these results. According to analysts, what could have worked for the Congress was the promise of waiving off farmers’ loans in all states if voted to power. The party also played the soft Hindutva card to the hilt, promising cow protection in its manifestoes in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The party also kept at bay infighting in both these states.



The outcomes of these elections will have a significant impact next year as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have 65 Lok Sabha seats, of which the BJP had won 62 in the 2014 Narendra Modi wave.

Here is a quick look at how parties fared in 2013:

Madhya Pradesh: BJP had won 165 of the total 230 seats, Congress 58 and other 7. Exit polls this time called it a very close fight.

Rajasthan: BJP had won 163 of the 200 seats, Congress 21 and others 16. Exit polls this time handed over the state to the Congress.

Chhattisgarh: BJP had won 49 of the 90 seats, Congress 39 and others 2. This state too has been called a close fight by exit polls.

Telangana: TRS had got 63, Congress 21 and BJP 5 of the total 119 seats. Exit polls have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the TRS this time.

Mizoram: Congress had got 34 of the 40 seats with the Mizo National Front bagging 5 and other 1. This time the advantage is with the MNF, according to exit polls.