#Results2018: Quick updates on numbers and TV news witticism

The results of the assembly elections in five states will be announced today: Telangana, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Exit poll results predicted that the Congress would sweep Rajasthan, K Chandrashekhar Rao’s TRS would comfortably win Telangana, the MNF would win Mizoram, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh would be neck-and-neck.

There are 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh with 116 being the majority mark. Rajasthan has 200 seats. Telangana has 119 seats and Mizoram 40.

9 am: As counting is underway, Round 1 has not been completed. The Congress has led in 3 seats and the BJP 2 in Madhya Pradesh.  In Rajasthan, the Congress led in won 10 seats and the BJP 8, while the BSP has 1. The TRS is leading in 3 seats and the BJP 1 in Telangana. The BJP has led in 4 seats so far in Chhattisgarh, the Congress 3, and the BSP 2. The Congress leads in two seats in Mizoram. K Chandrashekhar Rao is leading in Gajwel. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajasthan’s CM Vasundhara Raje are leading in their constituencies.

9.15 am: On NDTV, Abhishek M Singhvi says he’s “sticking his neck out” but the Congress will “decisively” win in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, based on his own personal predictions, with a government being formed by the Congress in “all three states”. Meanwhile, on Republic, Arnab Goswami says the BJP will see a “huge comeback” in Rajasthan. As the numbers stand so far, the Congress leads in 25 seats in Rajasthan and the BJP 17. The Congress state president Sachin Pilot is leading from Tonk. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leads in 11 seats and the BJP 10. In Telangana, the TRS leads with 24, the Congress 7, and the BJP 1. The BJP is leading in 9 seats in Chhattisgarh, the Congress 3, and the BSP 3.

9.19 am: In Chhattisgarh, the chief minister Raman Singh is trailing in Rajnandgaon in initial trends.

9.45 am: The BJP is leading with 45 seats in Madhya Pradesh, followed closely by the Congress at 42. The Congress leads with 56 in Rajasthan and the BJP holds the lead in 40 seats. The TRS is cruising in Telangana with a lead in 60 seats.

9.48 am: According to official Election Commission data, the BJP is leading in 2 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP is leading in 1 seat in Mizoram and the MNF in 2. In Rajasthan, the EC says the Congress is leading in 7 seats and the BJP in 3. In Telangana, the TRS is leading in 12 seats.

10.12 am: NDTV has K Kavitha, Lok Sabha MP from the TRS and daughter of KCR. Congratulations are exchanged all round with NDTV calling it a “landslide”, “Jai Telangana” is said several times. Sreenivasan Jain asks if KCR will continue as chief minister (there is an awkward pause), and Kavitha says yes, while exploring opportunities at the national level. “We want him to be chief minister as long as he can be.” “But if he becomes prime minister, one of you must become chief minister?” NDTV asks. She says, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

10.23 am: On India Today, BJP’s Sudesh Varma says what’s happening in Telangana is not a reflection of what will go down during the general elections. Rajdeep Sardesai tells him it’s a “decimation”. Rahul Kanwal later adds that nothing had been heard of the Congress in Telangana till now. About KCR, he says, “I don’t agree with his welfare politics, too many freebies, but…”

On NDTV, it was said let’s not call it too early, remember the laddoos were prematurely distributed in Bihar during the assembly elections and they started celebrating during the early trends, while events later unfolded very differently. Prannoy Roy says we know who that happened because of, and pointedly looks at panellist Shekhar Gupta. Gupta does not look amused.

10.39 am: The Congress is leading in 97 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP is at 86, out of 230 seats. The EC website still stands at the BJP leading in 2 seats in Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the Congress is leading in 89 seats and the BJP in 75.

On Times Now, Navika Kumar asks BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra if he’ll admit if something “went wrong” for the party. Patra says the results are “based on state policies”. Saba Naqvi tells him to be “graceful”. Patra says the BJP is in the battlefield, “fighting it in the best possible manner”. Navika tells him to give credit where it’s due, and that Rahul Gandhi has “clicked with the masses”. Patra says Narendra Modi has passed so many tests in various states, which Gandhi has failed. Times Now is clearly pressing Patra to give Gandhi credit, but he’s resisting. He seems to be in “anti-incumbency” mode. He says this isn’t a “school battle”, and Gandhi is not his enemy, just their opponent.

10.54 am: On India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai says: KCR garu is leading, Kavita garu is leading … All the garus are leading!

11.20 am: Madhya Pradesh projects the Congress as leading in 109 seats, with the BJP leading in 102. In Rajasthan, the leads are the Congress with 96 and the BJP with 75. The leads in Telangana are 82 for the TRS and 18 for the Congress. In Mizoram, the MNF leads in 28 seats. There is no update on the Election Commission website.

Our reporter Amit Bhardwaj sent these pictures from the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee office, with supporters of Sachin Pilot shouting, “Humara CM Kaisa ho, Sachin Pilot Jaisa ho”.

On Times Now, Navika Kumar says she got a message before from KT Rama Rao of the TRS saying he held out a challenge to the Congress saying he’d take sanyas if the TRS lost.

11.34 am: India Today has the leads in Madhya Pradesh pegged at 110 seats for the BJP and 109 for the Congress. Great excitement ensues. Rajdeep Sardesai says the channel is calling three states: TRS is forming government in Telangana, Congress will form government in Chhattisgarh, and the MNF will form government in Mizoram.

11.38 am: On Zee News, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is one of the elections experts along with journalist Tavleen Singh, national spokesperson of the Janata Dal KC Tyagi, Tehseen Poonawalla and others.

Anchor Sudhir Chaudhary says the voters are not impressed with politicians going to mosques and mandirs, and that they don’t want handouts. He adds that in Chhattisgarh the mandate is not for Congress, but anti-Raman Singh. According to NDTV, at about 11 am, the Congress is leading in the state in 55 seats and the BJP in 25 seats.

India TV’s Rajat Sharma is studiously covering the state elections, except for regular pauses for a “sponsor message”, where the coverage cuts to cartoon characters complaining about itching: “B-Tex lagao, khujli bhagao. Daad, Khaaj, khujli is turant rahat–B-Tex Malham”.

11.43 am: Here are the leads according to the Election Commission website. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP leads in 17 seats and the Congress in 54. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leads in 112 seats and the BJP in 103. In Rajasthan, the Congress leads in 87 seats and the BJP in 75. In Mizoram, the MNF leads in 20 seats seats followed by the Congress in 5. In Telangana, the TRS leads in 90 seats, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in 5, and the Congress in 16.

Meanwhile, our reporter Prateek Goyal sends these images of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee supporters celebrating. Supporters of Kamal Nath are shouting, “Jai jai Kamal Nath.”

12.25 pm: Here are the numbers so far based on the EC site. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress leads in 56 seats and the BJP in 18. In Mizoram, the MNF leads in 17 seats and the BJP in 5. In Rajasthan, the Congress leads in 97 and the BJP in 75.

12.30 pm: Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT cell head, is on India Today. He says there’s an attempt to browbeat the BJP saying there’s rural distress. Rahul Kanwal says the Congress has given the BJP a run for its money. Malviya says the BJP has been in office in Madhya Pradesh for 15 years, and the Congress cannot dislodge them as the vote isn’t against the BJP. In Rajasthan, Malviya says though the Congress is a little ahead, it’s not at the halfway mark. “They aren’t able to swing it,” he says.

12.47 pm: Much mirth among Republic panellists over Ashok Gehlot serving chai. Someone suggests he should offer pakodas too.

Meanwhile:

12.50 pm: In Madhya Pradesh, it’s as close as called. The BJP leads in 110 seats and the Congress in 107. The Congress leads in Rajasthan with 94 seats and the BJP just behind in 80. TRS leads, quite obviously, in Telangana with 91 seats. Chhattisgarh has the Congress leading in 59 seats and the BJP in 22. Meanwhile, the MNF sits pretty in Mizoram leading in 27 seats.

News 18 Hindi’s Amish Devgan is having a field day in the studio. He’s loud, explosive, sharp and in his element. Manoeuvring between 6 guests, he’s arguing, rebuking, provoking. “Jis Rahul Gandhi ko aapne pappu kaha, wo Rahul Gandhi aaj aapko dhool chata rahe hai,” he taunts RSS ideologue Sangit Ragi.

1:07 pm: In Madhya Pradesh, the EC website places the Congress and BJP at leading at 109 seats each.

1.42 pm: Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla loses from both seats, Champhai South and Serchhip.

1.50 pm: Meanwhile, in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile,

2:00 pm: The battle in Madhya Pradesh remains a nail-biting one. On the EC website, BJP is leading with 112 and Congress with 108 in the state. Over at India Today, anchor Rajdeep Sardesai and his guests are craving lunch, with panellists taking turns to break for a meal and being instantly replaced by other panellists. “This is not Old Monk and Coke, this is plain Coke,” Sardesai says while raising a glass on the screen. “But if this continues like this, it’ll soon have Old Monk in it.” We feel him, it’s going to be a long day.

2.45 pm: Here are the EC numbers. The Congress leads with 62 in Chhattisgarh followed by the BJP at 13. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP leads in 112 seats and the Congress leads in 107 seats.

Rahul Kanwal calls it a “clean sweep” in Rajasthan for the Congress. He says the BJP is looking at a massive loss in the Hindi heartland. NDTV says it’s become comfortable for the Congress now.

Sanjay Kakade, BJP Rajya Sabha MP, says, “I knew we would lose in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh but MP trends have come as a surprise. I think we forgot the issue of development that Modi took up in 2014. Ram Mandir, statues and name changing became the focus.”

DMK’s Kanimozhi says finally “acche din” has come to the country.

3.05 pm: Arnab Goswami on Republic says in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath is calling Mayawati to get the numbers. “Kamal Nath to dial Maya?”, the headline reads. Arnab says this shows “nervousness”. He calls it a “Madhya Pradesh kichdi”.

3.10 pm: Let’s go back and look at EC data.

3.17 pm: Here’s Times of India‘s projections of leads in Madhya Pradesh.

3:45 pm: Rahul Shivshankar on Times Now says it’s three for the Congress, zero for the BJP, one for the TRS, and one for MNF. Meanwhile Zee News added some mood music.

Newslaundry‘s reporter Amit Bhardwaj reports that Ashok Gehlot was missing from the Congress’s closed-door meeting at Jaipur’s Hotel Khash Kothi. The meeting is between KC Venugopal, Sachin Pilot and state in-charge Avinash Pandey.

Zee News decided to hold a kavi sammelan since waiting on trends became too boring:

4.28 pm: Here’s an EC update.

On Republic, Arnab Goswami  says, “Modi campaigned everywhere and they won … Will you make Modi campaign in [all] seats in Madhya Pradesh? … You’re going back to the drawing board.” The BJP spokesperson says the BJP will introspect; Arnab interrupts and says the channel will take a break instead.

On ABP News:

While India TV has some fierce competition when it comes to animation.

4.47 pm: On India Today, Aadil Singh Boparaj, Congress spokesperson, asks what Modi delivered in the last four years and says he has destroyed India. “Toxic leadership, communal leadership, propaganda of North Korean channels is not leadership.”

Here’s what Shri Kishan Meena, an ardent and hopeful supporter of the BJP, from Jhapadiya, Madhya Pradesh, has to say to our reporter Prateek Goyal.

4.55 pm: KCR is giving a statement. The TRS seems to have swept Telangana.

Chandrababu Naidu tweeted his congratulations too.

5.40 pm: It seems all but done. Here are the EC results.