New Delhi:
The verdict will be out today for the 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly polls. After a month-long polling process the question is whether there will be a stable government this time?
Main political parties like Congress, BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have said they are in search of post-poll allies in case of a hung Assembly.
"We welcome any secular party," state Congress president Pradeep Kumar Balmachu said.
Congress has allied with the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha for the three-week long Assembly elections held in five stages for the 81-member Assembly.
Raghuvar Das, state president of BJP, which fought the elections in alliance with the JD (U), said: "Nobody is untouchable in case we fall short of getting the magic figure of 41."
While BJP put up candidates in 67 constituencies, JD (U) contested 14 seats.
JMM chief Shibu Soren said in Bokaro that despite his party fighting the elections alone, it is ready to hold business with others "in case of necessity."
Soren claimed he held the key to formation of the next government as his party fielded 79 candidates. In the 2005 Assembly elections, JMM had fought the elections in alliance with the Congress.
The counting of votes for the five-phased Assembly polls, held between November 25 to December 18, will take place on Wednesday. A total of 1,511 candidates were in the fray and a 58 percent voter turnout was recorded.
The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure speedy counting of votes. We have made elaborate arrangements for counting of votes in the districts. Adequate security forces will be deployed during counting," joint chief electoral officer (CEO) Ashok Kumar Sinha said.
President's rule was imposed in the state on January 19 after then chief minister Shibu Soren lost the Tamar assembly by-election that he needed to win -- to become member of the state Assembly and to retain the high office he held then.