Mizoram's ruling MNF faces tough fight from ZPM challenger as votes are counted today after exit polls predict hung assembly. The key contest is between CM Zoramthanga's MNF, seeking to retain power, and the newly formed ZPM alliance. While some exit polls predicted a ZPM sweep, most indicated no clear majority for any party. Zoramthanga projected as "guardian" of tribes, but faces anti-incumbency charges of corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructure. Counting deferred from yesterday after appeals from churches and others in Christian-majority state where Sunday is day of prayers.

As BJP scored thumping victories in MP, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, PM Modi thundered "Mend your ways or the public will oust you", calling results "historic" and a "guarantee of a hat-trick in 2024." Modi asserted "sabka sath, sabka vikas bhavna has won... call for a 'developed India' has won." He smirked "Some say this hat-trick has guaranteed the 2024 victory." The PM slammed "People have zero-tolerance for corruption, appeasement and dynastic politics." He directly attacked Congress and the opposition bloc, terming the outcome "a big lesson for their ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance". Modi warned "Those standing with the corrupt get a clear warning." After big state sweeps, he proclaimed national reelection is assured while attacking rivals over arrogance in rebuke of appeasement and graft.

In a sweeping victory in Chhattisgarh, the BJP secured dominance in the Bastar division, claiming 8 out of 12 seats. Once a Congress stronghold in 2018, Bastar saw a significant shift as anti-Naxal operations and development initiatives took center stage. Former CM Raman Singh credited massive development and 65 new security camps for the triumph. Congress, which won only 4 seats, faced setbacks in Jagdalpur, Chitrakote, and Dantewada. The BJP's 'Security First' approach resonated, emphasizing reduced Naxal violence and increased development, as voters signaled confidence in the party's transformative efforts.  

In Rajasthan, BJP clinches 50 seats where women outnumbered men, contrasting Congress's 30. Despite Congress focusing on women-centric schemes, the BJP's emphasis on women's safety resonates. Rural areas, especially in districts like Sikar and Pali, witness a significant women's turnout exceeding men. Congress, victorious in urban districts like Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu, faces challenges in Pali, Rajsamand, and Dungarpur. Political analysts credit BJP's outreach on women's safety and religious appeal, suggesting Congress might have lost more women votes without welfare schemes. The election results underscore the nuanced dynamics of women's voting preferences in Rajasthan.

After the BJP's decisive victory in the Rajasthan polls, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot resigned this evening during a meeting with the governor. With the BJP set to cross the majority mark of 100 seats, Gehlot conceded defeat and stepped down from his post. Earlier, he had described the Congress's poor performance as "shocking", admitting it failed to effectively communicate its governance record. Gehlot now says the party will analyze the reasons behind the election drubbing. His rival Sachin Pilot's open rebellion in 2020 caused internal rifts that are seen as significantly damaging Congress's prospects despite a later truce between the two camps.

In a surprise twist in the keenly-watched Kamareddy assembly seat, BJP candidate K Venkata Ramana Reddy overtook Congress's Revanth Reddy and TRS chief KCR to take the lead. Trailing after initial rounds, Venkata Ramana is now ahead with 46,780 votes versus Revanth's 45,419 - pushing KCR to third position. Kamareddy has seen a high-stakes triangular fight between the heavyweights. Meanwhile, despite his own contest in doubt, state Congress president Revanth Reddy thanked Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for the party's wider Telangana win. With Congress set to form government, Revanth expects KCR's cooperation, saying his party must fulfill people's aspirations.

The Election Commission suspended Telangana's Director General of Police, Anjani Kumar, for violating the election code of conduct. Kumar met Congress leader Revanth Reddy, a candidate in the ongoing state polls, before results were announced. In a video, Kumar greeted Reddy with a flower bouquet. As the Congress appears headed for victory in Telangana, the EC acted swiftly against Kumar's inappropriate engagement with a contestant ahead of the final outcome. With the party crossing the majority mark, the Congress is set to form its first government in the state. The EC asserted its impartiality by penalizing the state's top cop for prematurely interacting with an eventual winner. (Video Courtesy: ANI)

As final results showed the BJP headed for massive wins in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked voters for choosing the party's "politics of good governance and development". Attributing the landslide victories to public support for his administration's development agenda, Modi stated that the election results prove people "firmly" back the BJP's model of growth-focused governance. With the party reclaiming power in the three states it lost to Congress in 2018, the PM contended that his platform of economic progress and effective administration motivated voters more than other considerations.

After the Congress's poor performance in the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assembly elections, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh blamed the Congress for its own defeat. In a social media post, he stated that the results represented the Congress's failure rather than a BJP victory. Ghosh asserted that the TMC can provide leadership in defeating the BJP nationally, seeming to position the party as an alternative to the declining Congress within the anti-BJP bloc. Meanwhile, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad critiqued his party for abandoning its defense of minority rights. Despite leads in Telangana, the Congress faces pressure from allies after electoral debacles in Hindi heartland states. The TMC appears eager to claim pole position amid doubts about Congress's leadership of the anti-BJP alliance.

With the BJP poised for triumph in Chhattisgarh, attention turns to the next Chief Minister. Potential contenders include Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal face and former state chief, Raman Singh, former Chief Minister and national Vice President, Renuka Singh, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Ramvichar Netam, former Rajya Sabha MP, and Arun Sao, the state unit president with OBC influence. Discussions on leadership intensify as BJP leaders assert the parliamentary board will decide. The choice, whether tribal, woman, OBC, or other, will shape Chhattisgarh's political landscape under the incoming BJP government.