Election Results 2019: BJP Sails Through Maharashtra Election, Looks At Independents In Haryana: 10 Facts

Election Results 2019: Counting of votes in Maharashta and Haryana took place on Thursday.

Highlights

Dushyant Chautala's JJP could emerge as kingmaker in Haryana
BJP chief Amit Shah summoned Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar to Delhi
Shiv Sena indicated it will insist on 50:50 formula in Maharashtra

New Delhi: The BJP is set to form governments in Maharashtra and Haryana in the first round of assembly elections following its landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections. In Maharashtra, it got majority with ally Shiv Sena, though falling short of the score in the 2014 election. Haryana delivered a split verdict, where the BJP was the single largest party. Sources said the BJP will get support from six Independent MLAs. Calling the results an "unprecedented victory", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party intends to "work with the same zeal and dedication for the state's (Haryana's) progress". In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, buoyed by a hugely improved performance, is talking of a 50:50 division of ministry berths and a turn at the Chief Minister's post. In the bypolls held across 17 states and one Union Territory, the BJP and its allies won 26 of the 51 assembly seats, the Congress won 12.

Here are the top 10 updates on election results 2019:

"These are unprecedented victories because normally these days few governments return after five years. In such times to be elected again is a big deal," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told party workers, attributing the results to the hard work of Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and ML Khattar, both of whom will stay at the helm in the two states.
Haryana has delivered a fractured mandate. While the BJP has won 40 of the state's 90 seats, the Congress has won 31 -- a situation that catapulted Jat leaader Dushyant Chautala, chief of the newly formed Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in the position of the kingmaker. The majority mark is 46.
The BJP, however will get the support of six Independent MLAs, many of whom have made a beeline for Delhi, sources said. Three of the Independent MLAs ready to support the BJP had left the party ahead of the assembly elections after being denied ticket, sources said. The Haryana results also came as a disappointment to the BJP, which won all 10 parliamentary seats in the national elections. Eight of the 10 ministers from the party lost.
The Congress, galvanised by the unexpected trends, had reached out to Dushyant Chautala, who, however, is yet to respond. Bhupinder Hooda, who led the party in the state, said he has "not given up hope" but also pointed out that he was a "practical man" who was ready for the unexpected.
Dushyant Chautala remains non-committal about whom he would support. After the leads became clear on Thursday morning, he said, "I believe the keys are in the hands of the JJP". Sources said it was likely that the 31-year-old was waiting for an offer of the Chief Minister's post from the Congress. It is, however, not clear if the Congress is ready to oblige.
In Maharashtra, the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena are ahead in around 160 of the state's 288 assembly seats. But the tally is still is way below the 250 seats they were expecting. The BJP was hoping to cross the majority mark on its own, but won only 105 seats -- way below its 2014 tally of 122. The Sena won 56. The majority mark lies at 145.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP and Shiv Sena will go by what was "pre-decided" between them on sharing of power. He also said the party's "strike rate" was better, given that it contested 260 seats in 2014 and won 122. "This time, we fought 164 and are likely to get 105... Our strike is rate better, we won 70 per cent of the seats," he said.
As the leads indicated that the party is likely to deliver a standout performance, the Sena indicated that it will insist on the 50:50 formula during government formation. Asked about the Chief Minister's post, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said it was time to implement the 50:50 formula. Sources indicated that the Sena can insist on dividing the 5-year tenure of the government, and occupy the Chief Minister's office for two-and-a-half years.
The Congress and its ally Nationalist Congress Party have won 98 seats in Maharashtra. But the improved tally can be attributed to Sharad Pawar's party, which has outperformed the Congress. Mr Pawar, 79, had single-handedly led the NCP charge as the factionalised Congress floundered.
Bhupinder Hooda, who was handed the party's reins in Haryana after Sonia Gandhi took over as the Congress's interim chief in August, said the party could have given a much better performance if he had "more time". The 31 seats it won was more than double the 15 seats it scraped up in the 2014 assembly elections.