Assam Election 2016 LIVE Results: BJP's lotus blossoms in the state, Modi thanks people

New Delhi: BJP has won Assam Assembly elections with 78 out of 126 seats. The party has managed to grab majority which means it will be able to form government on its own. From Assam Sarbananda Sonowal is the CM candidate of the saffron party. For his party PM Narendra Modi had campaigned extensively in the state.

• Tarun Gogoi congratulated Sarbananda Sonowal & BJP for their grand success.
• Prakash Javadekar gives the credit of Assam victory to PM Narendra Modi.
• "I spoke to Sarbananda Sonowal & congratulated him for the performance of the party & the efforts through the campaign. Across India, people are placing their faith in BJP & see it as the party that can usher in all-round & inclusive development," PM Modi tweeted.

• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Trends at 12:50 pm - BJP+ 84 l Cong+ 26 l AIUDF 10 l Others 6
• We will have meeting with Sarbananda Sonowal today in evening, said party general secretary Ram Madhav.
• PM Modi congratulated Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP's CM candidate in the state.
• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Trends at 12:30 pm - BJP+ 83 l Cong+ 24 l AIUDF 12 l Others 7
• Amit Shah tweeted to congratulated party members. 

Congratulations to PM @narendramodi ,Sh @sarbanandsonwal ,Sh @himantabiswa, other state leaders & karyakartas for emphatic victory in Assam.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 19, 2016

• Lauding the vision of Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, party general secretary Ram Madhav said the Congress must now learn a lesson from the latest political developments in the country and acknowledge the fact that the people are yet not ready to accept them.
• Madhav dedicated the BJP's win to Maa Kamakhya, holy river Brahmaputra and Srimanta Sankardev.
• PM Narendra Modi tweeted and thanked the people of Assam and other states for their support for NDA.

I thank the people of Assam, WB, TN, Puducherry & Kerala for their support & assure them we will always work hard & serve them. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2016

Image: Celebration erupts at BJP office in New Delhi

• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 79 l Cong+ 26 l AIUDF 14 l Others 7
• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Trends at 11:50 am - BJP+ 73 l Cong+ 31 l AIUDF 14 l Others 8
• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Trends at 11:40 am - BJP+ 75 l Cong+ 31 l AIUDF 12 l Others 8
• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Trends at 11:20 am - BJP+ 73 l Cong+ 31 l AIUDF 14 l Others 8
• #ABPResults Assam (126/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 74 l Cong+ 30 l AIUDF 13 l Others 9
• Will bring happiness in the life of people of Assam, says BJP's Ram Madhav
• Thanks for showing trust on us, says BJP's Ram Madhav.
• BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said, "For sure the lotus is blooming in Assam. The BJP is very hopeful of positive results in Assam. I believe that BJP will with complete majority in Assam."
• Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is leading over his nearest BJP rival Kamakhya Prasad Tasa by over 405 votes in the first round of counting of postal ballots in the key constituency of Titabar.

• #ABPResults Assam (120/126): Trends at 10:15 - BJP+ 75 l Cong+ 25 l AIUDF 13 l Others 7
• #ABPResults Assam (114/126): Trends at 10 am - BJP+ 70 l Cong+ 26 l AIUDF 13 l Others 5
• In 51 centres, authorities began counting the millions of votes cast in the Assam assembly elections.
• #ABPResults Assam (100/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 64 l Cong+ 20 l AIUDF 12 l Others 4
• ABPResults Assam (98/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 62 l Cong+ 20 l AIUDF 12 l Others 4
• Trend at 9:40 am, BJP gets majority in Assam
• #ABPResults Assam (90/126): Trend at 9:30 am - BJP+ 57 l Cong+ 19 l AIUDF 12 l Others 2
• In the Assam assembly, a total of 1,064 candidates were in the fray for the 120 seats.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ahead in seven constituencies in the initial Assam vote count on Thursday
• #ABPResults Assam (85/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 50 l Cong+ 23 l AIUDF 9 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (77/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 44  l Cong+ 22 l AIUDF 8 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (68/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 36  l Cong+ 21 l AIUDF 8 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (65/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 34  l Cong+ 20 l AIUDF 8 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (58/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 30  l Cong+ 20 l AIUDF 5 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (55/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 27  l Cong+ 20 l AIUDF 5 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (51/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 25  l Cong+ 18 l AIUDF 5 l Others 3
• #ABPResults Assam (46/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 27  l Cong+ 10 l AIUDF 6 l Others 3
• Tarun Gogoi & Sarbananda Sonowal, leading in their seats
• #ABPResults Assam (15/126): Early Trends - BJP+ 9  l Cong+ 3 l AIUDF 2 l Others 1
• Counting of votes begins.
• Ahead of counting of votes to decide political fate of five states, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Thursday thanked political parties and voters for peaceful elections. He asserted, the Election Commission (EC) is fully geared up to announce the result of the electoral battle.

Image courtesy: ANI

• Assam: BJP CM candidate Sarbananda Sonowal offers prayers at Uttar Kamalabari Satra Temple in Majuli #ABPResultspic.twitter.com/pZBk90Chdf

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2016

BJP-led NDA is surging ahead of the ruling Congress in Assam, leading in 72 of the 126 constituencies at the end of three hours of counting of votes. While BJP is leading in 45 seats, NDA allies AGP are leading in 17 and 10 constituencies respectively. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of Congress, who is leading in 23 seats, is ahead in his Titabar seat over BJP's Kamakhya Prasad Tasa by 7659 votes. BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate and union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is leading in Majuli (ST) by 9305 votes over his nearest Congress rival and sitting MLA Rajib Lochan Pegu, Election Office said. The All India United Democratic Front lead by Badruddin Ajmal, who claims himself to be the 'king maker' in the event of a hung assembly, is ahead in 13 constituencies. Ajmal is, however, trailing behind Congress candidate Wajed Ali Choudhury in South Salmara seat by 2504 votes. Independents are leading in seven constituencies and NCP in one. Congress dissident leader and now BJP leader Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading by 9458 votes over Niren Deka of Congress at Jalukbari. Altogether 1064 contestants participated in the two phase Assam Assembly elections on April 4 and 11 last with Congress putting up contestants in 122 constituencies, BJP in 89, its alliance partners AGP in 30 and BPF in 13, AIUDF in 74, besides those from CPI and CPM, CPI(ML)(L), unrecognised parties and Independents. By 12 noon, a clear picture could emerge on the winners. Election Commission officials said counting of votes, which will commence at 8 AM, will be over by 3 PM. According to various exit polls shown on TV channels on May 16, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala appeared to have voted for change giving BJP its first government in the northeastern state dislodging Congress which may also lose Kerala. DMK has been tipped to regain power trouncing AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The counting of votes will decide the fate of approximately 8,300 candidates including chief minister Tarun Gogoi in Assam and CM contender BJP’s Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswas, chief minister Jayalalithaa and Karunandhi in Tamil Nadu, chief minister Oommen Chandy, CPI(M) leaders V S Achutanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) Suryakanta Mishra in West Bengal and chief Minister M Rangaswamy in Puducherry. According to Election Commission guidelines, half-an-hour after the postal ballots are counted, the process of counting votes from the EVMs 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 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. 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.