The northern Indian state of Haryana and Indian-administered Kashmir sprang surprises on Tuesday as votes were counted in assembly elections there.
Most exit polls had predicted a hung assembly in Kashmir but an alliance of the main opposition Congress and the National Conference Party (NC) are on course for a landslide in the 90-member house and poised to form a government.
In Haryana, which also has 90 seats, predictions of a Congress landslide were upended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has proved the pollsters wrong.
The BJP-led government appears on course to return for a rare third consecutive term in Haryana.
The polls in Kashmir are significant as these are first assembly elections there in a decade – and also the first since the federal government revoked the region’s autonomy and changed the former state into a federally- governed territory in 2019.
Unlike Kashmir – which India and its neighbour Pakistan have fought wars over – Haryana does not often command global headlines.
But the tiny state grabs much attention in India as it is next to the capital, Delhi. Along with Punjab, it is called the bread basket of India for its large wheat and paddy farms, and the city of Gurugram is home to offices of some of the biggest global brands such as Google, Dell and Samsung.
The results are being watched keenly in India as these are the first state assembly polls since the summer parliamentary election. Analysts say Tuesday’s results will set the tone as the country heads into more regional elections, including in the state of Maharashtra and Delhi, over the next few months.
