The assembly election results 2018 in five states - seen as the semi-final before next year's national elections - will be announced today. The counting of votes begins at 8 am. The three heartland states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, are crucial for the ruling BJP and challenger Congress. Data from earlier elections shows the party that wins the assembly elections gets the most Lok Sabha seats there. In Telangana, a victory for foes-turned-friends Congress and Chandrababu Naidu could be the catalyst for a united opposition. Mizoram, one of the four states the Congress rules, is critical to the BJP's plan of ruling the entire northeast.
