Election Results: Early Leads Show BJP Ahead in Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand

At 9:15 am, a little over an hour into counting, the BJP was leading in 17 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, gaining in 10. The Congress was ahead in seven seats, losing three. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference was ahead in eight seats, losing nine.

In Jharkhand, the BJP was leading in 26 out of 48 seats for which trends were available, a gain of none from the last assembly elections. The Congress was ahead in five, losing eight. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha of Chief Minister Heman Soren was ahead in four seats, losing two.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is leading in one constituency and is trailing in the other. On Monday, he ruled out a post-poll alliance with the BJP, saying its stand on various issues is "irreconcilable" with the views of his party, the National Conference.

Former separatist leader Sajjad Lone of the People's Conference was leading in Handwara. Before the elections, Mr Lone called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "like my older brother." He has not ruled out a post-election tie-up with the BJP.

Exit polls predict that the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party will emerge as the single largest party. At present, it is placed second. it is ahead in nine seats, gaining two. These are early trends and the scenario might change in subsequent rounds of counting.

Kashmir saw its highest voter turnout - 65 per cent in 25 years - despite boycott calls by separatists and several militant attacks ahead of key phases of polling. Jharkhand's 66.47 per cent voter turnout, too, was a record, for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

The BJP has so far not been a major player in J&K. But this year, it set itself a target first of winning 44-plus seats for a majority and then in an aggressive campaign called it the Mission 50-plus. PM Modi addressed eight rallies in the state; his election rally in Srinagar was the first by the BJP in the Valley.

In Jharkhand, exit polls predicted that the BJP and its ally, the All Jharkhand Students Union or AJSU, could win 47 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

The BJP has promised a stable government in Jharkhand, which over 14 years since its creation, has seen nine governments and three stints of President's Rule. Besides PM Modi, all key leaders of the party campaigned in the state.

In the general election this year, the BJP registered its best ever performance in J&K, winning three of the six Lok Sabha seats. The PDP had won the other three; the Congress-National Conference alliance was routed. In Jharkhand, too, the BJP had posted a superlative result in the Lok Sabha polls, winning 12 of the state's 14 seats.