Jind, Ramgarh election results 2019 LIVE Updates: Congress’s Randeep Surjewala and Jannayak Janata Party’s Digvijay Chautala present at the counting centre. (Express photo)
Jind, Ramgarh Bye-Election Results 2019 Highlights: Congress’ Shafia Zubair won the Ramgarh Assembly seat in Rajasthan by defeating BJP’s Sukhwant Singh by 12,228 votes. With this win, Congress’ tally in Rajasthan touches 100 out of 200 seats. In Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha emerged victorious, winning the seat by over 12,000 votes. Middha has overtaken Jannayak Janata Party candidate Digvijay Chautala. Congress heavyweight and national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala settled at the third spot. READ IN HINDI
Following Congress’ win in the Ramgarh elections, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the result would encourage the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. “I am happy that people took a well-meditated step. They have taken the right decision. I thank them and express my gratitude. They have given a message at a time when it was much needed,” ANI quoted Gehlot as saying.
Jind bypoll results 2019 LIVE: Congress candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala interacts with voters. (Express Photos: Jaipal Singh)
Police used canes to disperse workers from opposition parties after they created a ruckus outside a counting centre for the assembly by-election here, complaining about the electronic voting machines, reported PTI.
The counting process was halted briefly during the seventh round when polling agents from of Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) alleged that there was a “mismatch” in serial numbers of two EVMs. The ruling BJP won the high-stakes Jind bypoll with its candidate Krishan Middha defeating his nearest rival, JJP's Digvijay Singh Chautala, by nearly 13,000 votes.
Jind's Superintendent of Police Ashwin Shenvi said the police resorted to a “mild cane- charge” to disperse the protesters and maintain law and order.
Digvijay Chautala, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) after BJP's victory in the Jind Bypoll: I would like to congratulate BJP for their victory. There were several faults detected in EVMs, we will take up that issue in the internal party meeting first and then it will be briefed before media.
"I would like to thank everyone who supported the party and me. It's their victory. There were big leaders in the contest as well, but we have defeated them too. We will follow the schemes launched by PM and take them forward," BJP candidate Krishna Middha said after winning the Jind bypoll.
Congratulating BJP's Krishna Middha, Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala, who lost the Jind bypoll, said he hopes Manohar Lal Khattar and Krishna Middha will fulfil the dreams of the people of Jind.
"I was given a responsibility by the party which I fulfilled to the best of my abilities," ANI quoted him as saying.
BJP's Krishan Middha defeated nearest rival Digvijay Singh Chautala of Jannayak Janata Party by 12,935 votes in the Jind bypoll. Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala settled at the third spot with 22740 votes. The Jind bypoll is being seen as a test of the popularity of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The bypoll, which saw a voter turnout of 75.77 per cent, was necessitated following the death of INLD legislator Hari Chand Midha last year.
After the 11th round of counting in Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha is leading by more than 15,960 votes. Middha has secured 46916 votes, Digvijay Chautala 30956 votes and Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala 19611 votes. BJP looks set to continue its victory march after the win in mayoral elections in five cities of Haryana last month.
After the tenth round of counting in Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha is leading by more than 15,000 votes. After the ninth round, Middha was leading by 12,236 votes. Middha has secured 37561 votes, Digvijay Chautala 25325 votes and Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala 15776 votes. INLD, which has fielded Umed Singh, has secured only 2677 votes.
In Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha is marching ahead towards a comfortable victory and is leading by 9310 votes. After the eighth round of counting, Middha has secured 32180 votes, Digvijay Chautala 22870 votes and Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala 13733 votes. INLD, which has fielded Umed Singh, has secured only 2485 votes. Five rounds of counting still to take place.
Ruckus near Jind counting centre after Opposition alleges EVM irregularities. Police lathicharge protesters outside counting centre.
After the 7th round of counting, BJP is leading in Jind by a margin of 9408 votes. Jannayak Janata Party has secured 19403 votes, while Congress has garnered 11647 votes. The Opposition has alleged that serial numbers of EVM machines used at the time of polling in few booths are not matching with the serial numbers of EVM machines being used in the counting of votes of the booths concerned. Additional forces have been deployed near the counting centre. Police lathicharge on opposition workers near the counting centre.
Meanwhile, Congress and Jannayak Janata Party have alleged irregularities in 2-3 EVM machines. Congress candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala's polling agent Virender Jaglan says the number of votes are not tallying with two EVM machines. Counting has been stopped at two tables, Jaglan says. Digvijay Chautala's polling agent Ramphal also levels similar allegations.
Following Congress' win in the Ramgarh elections, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the result would encourage the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. "I am happy that people took a well-meditated step. They have taken the right decision. I thank them and express my gratitude. They have given a message at a time when it was much needed," ANI quoted Gehlot as saying. Congress' Shafia Zubair defeated BJP's Sukhwant Singh by 12,228 votes in Ramgarh assembly seat. With this win, Congress' tally in Rajasthan touched 100 out of 200 seats.
BJP looks set to win Jind bypoll. It's candidate Krishan Middha is leading by a margin of more than 10,000 votes after six rounds of counting. Both the Congress and INLD have won the Jind seat multiple times but the BJP has never won so far.
In Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha is marching ahead after overtaking Jannayak Janata Party candidate Digvijay Chautala by 5737 votes. After the fifth round of counting, Middha has secured 21052 votes, Digvijay Chautala 15315 votes and Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala 8813 votes. INLD, which has fielded Umed Singh, has secured only 2095 votes.
Congress' Shafia Zubair defeats BJP's Sukhwant Singh by 12,228 votes in Ramgarh assembly seat. With this win, Congress' tally in Rajasthan touches 100 out of 200 seats. Zubair has secured 83311 votes with a vote share of 44.77 per cent, while Singh has garnered 71053 votes with a vote share of 38.20 per cent.
After the 19th round of counting of votes in Ramgarh, Congress candidate Shafia Khan is leading by 9724 votes. She has managed to secure 78413 votes, while the BJP, which has fielded Sukhwant Singh, is at the second spot with 68689 votes. Ramgarh falls under Alwar district, where Congress has underperformed during the assembly elections. Congress managed to secure 4 out of 10 seats polled in the elections in Alwar in December 2018.
Jind has seen some close contests over the years, with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) either winning or finishing second in the last four elections since 2000. In 2000 and 2005, the INLD finished second to the Congress. The late Harichand Midha won the seat for the INLD in the next two elections. In 2009, he defeated his Congress rival by nearly 8,000 votes. In 2014, the contest was between Midha and the BJP, which lost by just over 2,000 votes, while the Congress was relegated to a distant third. This time, the BJP has fielded Krishan, son of Harichand Midha.
After 18 rounds of counting in Ramgarh, Congress candidate Shafia Khan is still in the lead by 9396 votes, even though BJP's Sukhwant Singh has managed to narrow the margin. Shafia, wife of senior Congress leader Juber Khan, has secured 74392 votes, while Singh has garnered 64996 votes. BSP's Jagat Singh has managed to get only 24122 votes.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expresses confidence that BJP will win the Jind constituency, says the party will increase its lead when votes of urban segments are counted. Khattar acknowledges that BJP is weak in rural segments.
In a twist in Jind, BJP’s Krishan Middha has pipped Jannayak Janata Party candidate Digvijay Chautala and is leading by 2038 votes. After the fourth round of counting, Middha has secured 15481 votes, Digvijay Chautala 13443 votes and Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala 7614 votes.
BJP’s Krishan Middha. (Express photo)
After the third round of counting in Jind, Jannayak Janata Party candidate Digvijay Chautala has increased his gap with BJP and is leading by 1876 votes. Digvijay has garnered 11226 votes as compared to the BJP's 9350. Congress is at the third spot, with 5813 votes, while INLD has managed to get only 1760 votes till now.
After 14 rounds of counting in Ramgarh, Congress candidate Safia Khan has marched ahead by 16652 votes as compared to her nearest rival. Safia, the wife of senior Congress leader Juber Khan, has secured 63906 votes and a vote share of 47.73 per cent. Her nearest rival is BJP's Sukhwant Singh, who has garnered 47254 votes, with 35.30 per cent vote share. BSP's Jagat Singh has managed to get only 17858 votes.
With Digvijay Chautala clearly in the driver's seat in Jind, here is an interview of the JJP candidate with The Indian Express where he explains why a Chautala family member has been fielded for the bypoll and why followers of former Haryana chief minister Devi Lal will support him even after his expulsion from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) headed by his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala. READ THE INTERVIEW HERE
The Congress candidate for the Ramgarh assembly election in Rajasthan is leading by a margin of over 5,000 votes. Congress's Safia Khan has secured 24,107 votes while BJP's Sukhwant Singh has got 18,616 votes. BSP's Jagat Singh is trailing at the third position. There will be a total of 20 rounds of counting.
Jannayak Janata Party candidate Digvijay Chautala has increased his gap with BJP and after the second round of counting, he is leading by 1338 votes. Digvijay has garnered 7892 votes as compared to the BJP's 6554. Congress is at the third spot, with 3923 votes, while INLD has managed to get only 1365 votes till now.
The outcome of the Jind bypoll could indicate the sentiments of voters and the state of play in what is recognised both as ‘khapland’ and the centrally located political heart of the state with voters from all castes and communities. The Jind Assembly segment has over 1.7 lakh voters, more than 1.07 lakh of whom live in the urban areas. Jat voters number around 44,000, Brahmins around 15,000, and Punjabis a couple of thousand fewer than them. There are around 11,500 Mahajan (Baniya) voters. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
After an initial neck-and-neck battle in Ramgarh, Congress candidate Saafiya Khan has attained a comfortable lead in Ramgarh and after five rounds, she is leading with 19,592 votes. The BJP, which has fielded Sukhwant Singh, is at a distant second with 14,719 votes. Ramgarh, which falls in Alwar district, had shot into limelight in July 2018 following the alleged lynching of Rakbar Khan by a mob of villagers near Lalawandi.
Both the Congress and INLD have won the Jind seat multiple times; the BJP has never won so far. Despite its location in Jat-dominated areas, the constituency has been represented by a non-Jat in the Assembly since 1972. Most MLAs have, in fact, been Baniyas. The dominance of urban voters is thought to be one of the major reasons for this trend.
After the first round of counting, Digvijay Chautala of JJP has garnered 3639 votes and is leading. BJP is close on its heels, with 2835 votes. The Congress, which fielded senior leader Randeep Surjewala is at third, with 2169 votes. The INLD has managed only 992 votes.
In Jind, Lok Sabha MP Dushyant Chautala's brother Digvijay is leading by 804 votes. Dushyant Chautala formed the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) after being expelled from the INLD on charges of indiscipline amid a family feud. Since the JJP is yet to be registered with the Election Commission, Digvijay contested as an Independent.
Ramgarh election results: Congress has taken the early lead with 9773 votes. BJP is at the second spot with 7094 votes while BSP is trailing with 1005 votes.
In Ramgarh, the voter turnout was 78.9 per cent. The Congress has bet on Safia Khan, wife of senior Congress leader Juber Khan, from the seat. All eyes will be on Jagat Singh, who is the BSP candidate from Ramgarh. Singh was earlier a BJP MLA but was denied ticket after which he switched to the BSP. The BJP candidate is Sukhwant Singh.
Congress has fielded senior leader and party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala while BJP has fielded Krishna Midda, and JJP has fielded Digvijay Chautala from Jind. The BJP candidate is Krishan Midha, son of two-time INLD MLA Hari Chand Midha, whose death has necessitated the bye-election.
The high-stakes Jind bypoll was largely a peaceful affair with a voter turnout of 75.77 per cent. In the 2014 assembly elections, Jind witnessed 75.84 per cent polling. polling was peaceful amid tight security but for a minor skirmish between workers of two political parties over suspicion of “fake voting” at Jalalpura Khurad village.
Welcome to our live blog. Counting of votes for Jind and Ramgarh assembly constituencies have begun. Jind returning officer and Sub Divisional Magistrate Virender Sehrawat said counting of votes will be completed in 13 rounds.