Counting For Maharashtra, Haryana Today As BJP Hopes For Encore
The people's verdict on who will rule Maharashtra and Haryana for the next five years will be revealed today as the counting of assembly election votes begins at 8 am. The BJP, which is ruling both states -- Maharashtra in alliance with the Shiv Sena -- is seeking a second term. The counter provided by the Congress, and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, its ally in Maharashtra, has been seen as tepid. Exit polls have predicted a BJP victory in both states. Exit polls, however, can get it wrong. A BJP win will be seen as an endorsement of the Narendra Modi government's policies after its re-election -- including the move to scrap special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the National Registry of Citizens -- which were the central themes of its campaign. Counting of votes for bypolls in 17 states and one union territory will also be held today.
