Gujarat Assembly election 2017: BJP wins PM Modi's home state

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday retained Gujarat for the sixth consecutive time, but it could not fulfil the party president Amit Shah's ambitious push for 150 seats in the 182 strong state assembly. 

Continuing its winning streak in the past few assembly polls, the saffron party ousted the Congress from power in Himachal Pradesh, winning 44 of the 68 seats. The Congress had to satisfy with just 21 seats.

The electoral war in Gujarat was a prestigious one for the BJP as it happened to be the home state of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The Congress gave the ruling party a tough time through out the campaign, but couldn't clinch the state from the saffron party. 

The Congress gained much ground with 77 seats. Its ally, the lesser known the Bharatiya Tribal Party, won two seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) got one while three Independents also emerged victorious.  

The exit polls had predicted a comprehensive victory for the BJP in the Gujarat Assembly elections, which were held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The exit polls have said the saffron party will win 110 seats while Today's Chanakya said that the BJP will win 135 seats.

However, even as the exit polls predicted a sixth term in office for the BJP, it seems to have spooked the opposition parties.

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel has accused that 140 engineers were hired by a company to hack 5,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

But Ahmedabad collector Avantika Singh on Sunday rubbished all those allegations.

"These are baseless allegations. I don't think any clarification is needed. Even if any clarification is to be issued, it will be issued by the Election Commission," said Singh.

Here are the LIVE updates:

8:51 pm IST: The saffron party marks its victory as it registers 98 seats of the 182 constituencies in Gujarat and has won 42 seats of the 68 constituencies in Himachal. Counting of the same is underway.

 7:30 pm IST: BJP is gained victory in 96 constituencies. 

6:40 pm IST: BJP has won in 95 constituencies.

6:26 pm IST: BJP has crossed the halfway mark needed to win the Gujarat Assembly elections.

6:06 pm IST: BJP is almost about to cross the halfway mark. It has won in 90 constituencies.

`5:39 pm IST: The saffron party has won 85 constituencies and Congress is leading in 14 seats.

5:07 pm IST: BJP has won in 70 constituencies and are leading in seven.

4:46 pm IST: Here's the latest status known for 181 constituencies as per the EC website:

4:33 pm IST: Congress President Rahul Gandhi admits defeat. 

4:30 pm IST: Modi's party has won is 68 constiturncies and Rahul's party has won in 60.

4:26 pm IST: The results of 50 constituencies are yet to be declared. BJP is leading in 31 seats and Congress is leading in 17.

4:16 pm IST: BJP has won in 66 constituencies so far.

4:14 pm IST: Randeep Surjewala of Congress is confident that his party has the support of the Independent party. 

4:02 pm IST: The BJP has won 58 seats and is leading in 41, followed by Congress which has won in 52 constituencies and is leading in 25.

3:43 pm IST: Here's the latest status known for 181 constituencies as per the EC website:

3:26 pm IST: The BJP has won 44 seats and is leading in 54, while Congress has won in 36 and is leading in 42.

3:15 pm IST: Hardik Patel has yet again  brought up the topic of EVM hacking in Gujarat. 

3:12 pm IST: The BJP has won 38 seats and is leading in 60, while Congress has won in 30 and is leading in 48.

3:03 pm IST: BJP is still going strong with a victory in 33 constituencies.

2:47 pm IST: BJP has won in 28 constituencies while Congress has won in 21 till now. The saffron party is leading in 70 seats.

2:28 pm IST: Here's the latest status known for 181 constituencies as per the EC website:

2:18 pm IST: BJP is leading in 82 seats and has won in 18 constituencies.

2:06 pm IST: BJP and Congress has won in 15 constituencies each, while the Nationalist Congress Party and Bhartiya Tribal Party has won one each, said the EC website.

1:49 pm IST: As trends indicate BJP's victory in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Union Minister Rajnath Singh flashes victory sign outside Parliament.

1:31 pm IST: As BJP wins in 10 constituencies, the party supporters are celebrating in various parts of India. 

1:21 pm IST: The Nationalist Congress Party has also won one in one constituency, while the BJP and the Congress has won in nine and seven constituencies each.

1:17 pm IST: BJP has won in eight contituencies while Congress has won five till now.

12:56 pm IST: BJP has already won in six constituencies.

12:51 pm IST: Even as the BJP leads in 105 constituencies, it has already bagged five constituencies till now.

12:35 pm IST: The saffron party has won in three constituencies

12:24 pm IST: BJP wins in another constituency.

12:12 pm IST: Congress has also won in one constituency.

12:03 pm IST: BJP is leading in 105 seats and Congress has lost leas in one seat.

11:58 am IST: Here's the latest status known for 181 constituencies as per the EC website:

11:49 am IST: BJP has won in one constituency.

11:41 am IST: The BJP has lost lead in two seats, the Independent party has lost lead in one and the Congress has gained in three.

11:38 am IST: The BJP is leading in 105 seats, Congress is leading in 69 seats and Congress is leading in four seats.

11:30 am IST: Here are the latest trends:

11:25 am IST: Independent party leads in one seat as Congress loses lead in one.

11:20 am IST: According to the latest status knwon for 181 constituencies, BJP is leading in 101 seats and Congress in leading in 74.

11:16 am IST: As per the status known of 179 constituencies, BJP is leading in 99 seats and Congress in leading in 74.

11:15 am IST: BJP has lost lead in one seat as Congress gains in one.

11:06 am IST: Here are the latest trends according to the EC website:

11:04 am IST: Congress has gaiend lead in two seats.

10:59 am IST: Independent candidate Jignesh Mevani leading by 10,785 votes in Vadgam.

10:58 am IST: The independent party has gaiend lead in one seat.

10:56 am IST: CM Vijay Rupani leading by 21,000 votes from Rajkot West.

10:54 am IST: The Congress is leading  in 70 seats, while the Bhartiya Tribal Party and Independent party leading in two seats each and Nationalist Congress Party is leading in one.

10:51 am IST: The BJP is leading in 100 seats.

10:46 am IST: As per the EC's latest trend, BJP is leading in 99 seats.

10:42 am IST: According to the EC's website, the BJP is leading in 97 seats, followed by the Congress in 71 and the other parties like Bhartiya Tribal Party and Independent party leading in two seats each.

10:33 am IST: The saffron party has lost lead in a few seats and is leading in 102 seats. The Congress is leading in 79 seats.

10:31 am IST: BJP gains lead in two seats as both other parties and Congress loses in one each.

10:28 am IST: BJP is leading in 105 seats, followed by Congress in 75 and other parties in 2.

10:22 am IST: Congress gains lead in four seats as BJP loses lead in four.

10:17 am IST: The saffron party is now leading in 107 seats, followed by Congress in 72 and other parties in 3.

10:14 am IST: BJP leads loses lead in three seat as other parties gains in one and Congress gains in two.

10:13 am IST: Other parties still leading in two seats.

10:12 am IST: BJP takes lead in three seats as Congress loses lead in three.

10:11 am IST: Modi's party is now leading in 104 seats, Rahul's is leading in 76 and other parties are leading in 2.

10:04 am IST: BJP  takes lead in two seats.

10:01 am IST: BJP is leading in 103 seats, followed by Congress in 78 and other parties leading in one seat.

9:52 am IST: BJP has overtaken the Congress in two more seats.

9:40 am IST: BJP leading in 96 seats while Congress is leading in 82 seats and the other parties are leading in four seats.

9:37 am IST: Congress has lost lead in one more seat as BJP gained lead in one.

9:34 am IST: Other parties are leading in three seats.

9:32 am IST: The saffron party is now leading in 96 seats.

9:31 am IST: BJP is back in form and is leading in 95 seats while Congress is leading in 83.

9:27 am IST: BJP catches up Congress and is now leqading  in 85 seats with Congress following closely behind in 83 seats.

9:21 am IST: BJP takes lead in two seats and is leading in 83 seats in total.

9:19 am IST: BJP leading in 81 seats while Congress is leading in 84 seats.

9:17 am IST: Other parties have lost lead in two seats.

9:15 am IST: Congress is leading in 85 seats and BJP in 80.

9:13 am IST: Congress overtakes BJP in leads. It is leading in 84 seats while BJP is leading in 81.

9:12 am IST: BJP leading in 83 seats while Congress follows closely in 82 seats.

9:10 am IST: Even the other parties are leading in four seats.

9:08 am IST: It is now turning out to be a neck to neck fight as Congress stands lead in 74 while BJP leads in 78 seats.

9:06 am IST: Here are the official trend from Gujarat from teh EC.

9:03 am IST: Congress gains lead in two more seats seats as BJP loses lead in two.

9:01 am IST: BJP loses lead in a few more seats and is now leading in 82 seats with the Congress gaining lead and leading in 70 seats.

8:58 am IST: Congress is gaining momentum as it takes lead in 68 seats.

8:56 am IST: BJP might have lost the lead in at least one seat while Congress has taken in six.

8:53 am IST: Other parties are leading in two seats.

8:51 am IST: A few visuals of the counting at various centres across Gujarat.

8:49 am IST: Congress gains lead in seven seats while BJP gains in one.

8:45 am IST: BJP leads in 86 seats, folllowed by Congress in 53 seats.

8:44 am IST: Jignesh Mevani leading from Vadgam seat.

8:42 am IST: BJP takes lead in six more seats.

8:41 am IST: Modi's party leading in 78 seats while Rahul's is leading in 52.

8:39 am IST: Saffron party takes lead in four more seats and Congress takes lead in three more seats

8:37 am IST: Other parties are leading in one seat, while BJP is leading in 71 and Congress is leading in 43 seats.

8:35 am IST: Postal ballot counting underway in Gujarat.

8:33 am IST: BJP and Congress takes lead in eight and one seat respectively.

8:30 am IST: Congress is slowly picking speed as it takes lead in 35 seats with BJP still ahead in 52 seats.

8:28 am IST: Early trends as per as 8:28 am shows that BJP is leading  in 50 seats and Rahul Gandhi's party is leading in 33.

8:27 am IST: BJP still ahead in 35 seats while Congress is leading in 10.

8:23 am IST: Saffron party takes lead in 2 more seats.

8:20 am IST: PM Narendra Modi's party is leading in 31 seats.

8:17 am IST: BJP leading in Dessa. An NDTV report has said that BJP has got 24 seats while Congress has got 7 till now.

8:15 am IST: Early trends reflect exit poll's prediction as BJP leads in 15 seats.

8:14 am IST: The BJP is leading in 14 seats in Gujarat.

8:13 am IST: The BJP has now captured 11 seats with Congress getting two seats.

8:12 am IST: The saffron party is leading in six seats in Gujarat.

8:07 am IST: BJP has got three seats till now while Congress has got two and others have got zero.

8:03 am IST: The EC has installed a total of 1251 cameras across 37 counting centres in the state for better vigil.

8 am IST: Counting has begun at all the centres throughout Gujarat.

7:57 am IST: Hardik Patel is currently offering prayers at Somnath temple just before counting is to begin.

7:40 am IST: Security has been tightened at the 37 centres where the counting will be held. Here are the visuals of the counting booths.

7:30 am IST: On Sunday night, the Election Commission (EC) withdrew its order against him after the BJP had alleged that he had violated the model code of conduct (MCC) on the grounds that he gave television interviews one day before second phase of Gujarat elections on December 14.

7 am IST: Counting of votes for Gujarat election results will begin at 8 am at 37 centres across the state's 33 districts.

6:45 am IST: In the re-polling that was held on Sunday at six polling booths -- two booths each in Vadgam and Savli constituencies and one each in Viramgam and Daskroi-- more than 70 percent voter turn out was recorded.

6:30 am IST: While the first phase saw to around 70 percent voter turnout, the second phase had witnessed 68.7 percent voter turnout.

6 am IST: The polling in Gujarat may have taken place mostly peacefully, but some election booths saw repolling on Sunday. No news of any irregularity was reported from this repolling.