A high voter turnout was recorded in Jind and Ramgarh assembly constituencies on Monday.
The Congress has won the elections in Rajasthan by over 12,000 votes. With the electoral win in Ramgarh, the Congress now has 100 seats in the 200-member Assembly. Haryana's ruling BJP won the bypoll in Jind, which was a prestige battle for the ruling party ahead of the national election, due by May. The results of the bypolls are crucial for both the BJP and the Congress. The high-stakes election is considered a referendum on the Manohar Lal Khattar government and also a semi-final ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
A high voter turnout was recorded in Jind and Ramgarh assembly constituencies on Monday.
In the Jind assembly by-election, the turnout was recorded at over 70 per cent at 5 PM. The voter turnout in Ramgarh was 78.9 %. The election was postponed following the death of BSP candidate Laxman Singh.
All four major contenders in Jind -- the ruling BJP, Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which was formed after a split in the INLD -- have pulled out all the stops for a victory, which could prove to be a morale booster for the rank and file.
Here are the Highlights on the Jind, Ramgarh Bypolls:
BJP's Krishan Middha has won the bypoll in Jind with a margin of over 12,000 votes. Mr Middha secured 49,929 votes, while JJP's Digvijay Surjewala polled in 37,681 votes.
Randeep Surjewala managed 22,547 votes.
BJP's Krishan Middha has won the bypoll in Jind with a margin of over 12,000 votes.
BJP's Krishan Middha has polled in 4,192 votes after 11 rounds of counting. After leading in the initial rounds, JJP's Digvijay Chautala dropped to second position with 4,440 votes.
Randeep Surjewala is trailing behind with 2,020 votes.
"There was unlawful assembly which didn't disperse when we asked them to leave. We had to use slight force to disperse them.Situation normal now.Counting underway," SP Jind Ashwin Shenvi said.
Police lathi charge outside the counting venue of Jind by-polls following a ruckus.
At the end of Round 9, the BJP has secured 32,180 votes. Digvijay Chautala of the JPP has polled in 22,879 votes.
The counting of votes for the Jind bypoll was briefly stopped after Opposition alleged tampering of voting machines. The counting of votes have now resumed.
BJP leading with a margin of 9408 votes at the end of seveenth round of counting. Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) 19403 votes, Congress 11647 votes.
BJP's Krishan Middha is the son of two-time lawmaker Hari Chan Middha, whose death is the reason the bypolls were held.
In Jind, the BJP has managed to maintain lead after six rounds. BJP's Krishan Middha is leading in 26,412, while Digvijay Chautala of the JPP is trailing behind with 16,372 votes. Randeep Surjewala has polled in 10,038 votes.
While conceding defeat, BJP's Suwant Singh alleged that BSP spoiled his chances of wwinning the seat. "The BSP damaged the BJP and cut into our votes," he told NDTV.
Congress wins Ramgarh seat with a margin of over 12,000 votes. Shafia Zubair received 83,311 votes, while her nearest rival, BJP's Suwant Singh managed 71,083 votes.
Nineteen rounds of polling have been completed in Ramgarh. Congress's Shafia Zubair is currently leading with 78,413 votes. BJP's Sukhwant Singh has polled in 68,689 votes. Mr Singh has already conceded defeat.
Shafia Zubair is still leading in Ramgarh. The Congress leader is leading with 74, 399 votes, which is 9,373 votes more than her nearest rival, BJP's Sukhwant Singh.
BJP candidate Sukhwant Singh has conceded defeat. "The BSP has cut into our votes," Mr Singh told NDTV as he left the counting centre.
After Round 4, the BJP has managed to gain a lead in Jind. The party candidate is leading in 15,481 seats, while Digvijay Chautala has slipped into second position with 13,443 votes. Congress's Randeep Surjewala has manageed to win 7,614 votes.
The Congress is smelling victory in Ramgarh. After 17th round, Shafia Zubair has managed to increase her lead by 13,940 votes. Three more rounds to go before a winner is declared.
The BJP candidate has managed 58,334 votes.
Aryan Zubair, son of Shafia Zubair, looking at results outside the counting centre. (Photo courtesy Harsha Kumari Singh)
Just In: Shafia Zubair leading in 69,283 votes after 16 rounds. The BJP tailing behind with 53,987 votes.
After 13th round, Shafia Zubair is now leading by 60,283 votes. The BJP candidate is trailing with 44,062 seats.
BJP has fielded a virtually unknown Sukhwant Singh in the election.
BJP's Gyandev Ahuja had won the seat in 2013 elections.
Congress's Shafia Zubair has managed to maintain lead even after 11 rounds. She is currently leading by 12815 votes.
Nine more rounds are left before the winner is declared.
Randeep Surjewala is trailing behind Jannayak Janata Party and BJP candidats. Mr Surjewala is the sitting MLA from Kaithal constituency.
If the Congress wins the Rajasthan seat, its tally in the state will go up to 100 in the 200-member assembly, reducing its dependence on smaller parties.
In Jind, Digvijay Singh Chautala of Jannayak Janata Party is leading with 3,639 votes. BJP and Congress are trailing with 2,835 and 2,169 votes respectively.
After initial neck-and-neck battle, Congress' Shafia Zubair has attained a comfortable lead in Ramgarh. After five rounds, Ms Khan is leading with 19,592 votes, while the BJP is trailing with 14,719 votes.
The Congress has taken an early lead in Ramgarh. It is leading in 13,387 votes, the BJP candidate is ahead in 12,696 votes.
Congress' Shafia Zubair, wife of former MLA and All India Congress Committee secretary Zubair Khan, and little-known BJP candidate Sukhwant Singh.
Jagat Singh, the son of former senior Congress leader Natwar Singh, is contesting on a BSP ticket. The BSP currently has six legislators in the Rajasthan state assembly, five of whom hail from Alwar district and another from neighbouring Bharatpur.
The Jind bypolls were dubbed as a prestige battle for all four major contenders ahead of the parliamentary and the assembly polls.
Over 75.77 per cent voting was recorded in Jind by-poll, where the key contenders were Digvijay Singh Chautala of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), Randeep Singh Surjewala of Congress, also a sitting MLA from Kaithal, BJP's Krishan Midha, and INLD's Umed Singh Redhu. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of INLD MLA Hari Chan Midha, father of Krishna Midha.
The AAP has thrown its weight behind Dushyant Chautala, who formed Jannayak Janata Party, a splitter party borne out of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) following a bitter Chautala family feud. 27-year-old Digvijay Chautala is the younger brother of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala.
Congress's Randeep Surjewala and Jannayak Janata Party's Digvijay Chautala present at the counting centre in Jind as counting of votes has begun.
Ramgarh has seen maximum polarisation under cow vigilantism. The constituency was earlier represented by BJP's Gyan Dev Ahuja who hit the headlines for his controversial statements on cow vigilantism.
21 candidates - including senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala - contested in the by-elections in Jind, 130 km from Delhi. The seat has 1.75 lakh voters.
The Congress fielded its chief national spokesperson and sitting MLA from Kaithal constituency Randeep Singh Surjewala. The Jannayak Janata Party or JJP has put its weight behind Digvijay Chautala, the younger son of jailed leader Ajay Singh Chautala, who broke away from the INLD and floated the party.
All four major contenders in Jind -- the ruling BJP, Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which was formed after a split in the INLD -- have pulled out all the stops for a victory, which could prove to be a morale booster for the rank and file.
A high voter turnout was recorded in Jind and Ramgarh assembly constituencies on Monday.
In the Jind assembly by-election, the turnout was recorded at over 70 per cent at 5 PM. The voter turnout in Ramgarh was 78.9 %. The election was postponed following the death of BSP candidate Laxman Singh.
The results of the crucial bypolls in Haryana's Jind and Rajasthan's Ramgarh assembly constituencies will be declared today. The results of the bypolls are crucial for both the BJP and the Congress. The high-stakes election is considered a referendum on the Manohar Lal Khattar government and also a semi-final ahead of Lok Sabha elections.