Live election results: Mukul “keeps cards close to chest” in Meghalaya

Three-time former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Nagaland's sole MP resigned his seat to contest assembly elections from his relatively new Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party party, formed in 2017 by a breakaway faction after the ruling Naga People’s Front broke ties with the BJP. NDPP is fighting in alliance with BJP, with a 40-20 break up of seats. Rio was declared elected unopposed from Northern Angami II seat two weeks ago, after his NPF opponent Chupfuo Angami withdrew his candidature, in a surprising development.

For the first time in its electoral history, Tripura is witnessing a fierce political contest between two opposing ideological forces—the Communists and the Hindu nationalists. The ruling CPI(M) is facing off against a BJP-IPTF combine. Some exit polls have suggested that BJP could win its first chief minister of Tripura today; others have given the election once again to CPI(M), whose chief minister Manik Sarkar may well pull off a fifth consecutive term. Meanwhile Congress faces existential crises in the state and BJP stokes Twipraland fire with its ITPF alliance. Do read Sanat Chakraborty’s excellent ground report on Tripura in election season on National Herald.

ANI reports crowds gather in Shillong's Polo Ground to watch election results on a large screen. Meanwhile, Congress Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is reportedly ahead in the first trend to emerge from counting in Meghalaya

This is the Election Commission site for all results from Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura

Manindra Reang, Minister for Tribal Welfare (TRP & PTG),Home (Jail) and GA(Printing and Stationary) in the outgoing Manik Sarkar government, is leading in Santirbazar assembly seat in South Tripura district. Reang had won the seat in 2013, defeating Gouri Sankar Reang of Congress by over 3,700 votes. Reang’s rivals in 2013 are Baneti Reang of Congress and Pramod Reang of BJP

BJP candidates Dilip Sarkar leads in Badharghat and Ashish Kumar Saha leads in Town Bordowali assembly seats in West Tripura district

Early trends in 44/60 seats in Tripura have the Left Front ahead in 22 seats, the BJP-IPTF alliance ahead in 21 seats and Congress leading in 3, reports ABP News

NDPP's Neikiesalie Nicky Kire, formerly Roads and Bridges Minister in the TR Zeliang NPF government in Dec 2017, is ahead in Kohima Town. Kire had won on NPF ticket in 2013

National People's Party candidate Secondson A Sangma is leading in Chokpot assembly seat in South Garo Hills. Congress has Lazarus Sangma here, against the expectations of Bluebell Sangma, who is fighting as an Independent and could be cutting into Congress votes.

Congress Chief Minister and sitting MLA Mukul Sangma leads in Ampati assembly seat in South West Garo Hills, Meghalaya

Sitting MLA Sniawbhalang Dhar, former minister in Congress govt who quit Congress to join NPP, trails in Nartiang assembly seat in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Congress candidate Jopthiaw Lyngdoh is ahead

Sadhiarani Sangma, sister-in-law of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and wife of Excise Minister Zenith Sangma, leads in Gambegre assembly seat in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya

With 43/59 trends coming in for Meghalaya, Congress is ahead in 18 seats and NPP 11; BJP presently at 3 and others at 11, reports NDTV

With ruling NPF alliance taking a lead in 33 seats in 59/59 known trends, the NDPP-BJP alliance is pushed to second place at 22 leads; Others lead in 1 seat

Left Front heading for historic win in Tripura - if trends hold. Left Front is ahead in 32 seats and BJP in 22. This could be a historic sixth consecutive victory for the Left in Tripura

BJP’s Sanbor Shullai leads in Shillong South

BJP’s Sanbor Shullai, former Deputy Speaker and past state president of NCP, leads in Shillong South; NPP's Sounder Strong Cajee and Congress’ Manas Chaudhuri trail

CPI(M)'s Moboshar Ali leads in Kailasahar assembly seat in Unakoti district, Tripura. Ali had lost in 2013 by barely 500 votes to Birajit Sinha of Congress, who is trailing today

Ashish Das, BJP leads in Surma assembly seat in Dhalai district, Tripura; CPI(M)‘s Anjan Das trails

Sitting MLA, PDF candidate Lamboklang Mylliem is leading in Jirang assembly seat in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya. The Congress had seen many party members in Jirang quit after candidate Witness Syngkli was nominated

Sitting MLA C Apok Jamir leads in Mokokchung town, Nagaland; NDPP’s Metsubo Jamir trails

It’s proving to be a close fight in Chokpot assembly seat in South Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Congress candidate Lazarus Sangma has wrested the lead from NPP’s Secondson A Sangma, who was leading the count earlier on Saturday. Bluebell Sangma is fighting as an Independent in the seat after Congress gave the ticket to Lazarus

BJP pushes back the Left surge and regains the lead in #Tripura. Out of 59/59 leads known, BJP is now leading in simple majority of 31 seats and Left at 28. It's not over yet

Closely fought battles in Tripura are seeing Left Front and BJP exchange lead in the past hour. At present, Left Front is ahead on 30 seats and BJP on 28; 59/59 trends known

BJP candidate Ankya M Chaudhuri is ahead of CPI(M)‘s Jashabir Tripura in Jolaibari assembly seat in South Tripura district

BJP candidate and sitting MLA N Jacob Zhimomi of NDPP-BJP alliance leads in Ghaspani-I seat in Dimapur, Nagaland

Sitting MLA CPI(M) candidate Tapan Chakrabarti, Minister for Education (School & Higher), Industries & Commerce (including IT) and Law in the outgoing Manik Sarkar government, is leading in Chandipur assembly seat in Unakoti district

Congress candidate Marathon Sangma, sitting MLA formerly of NCP who defeated Frankenstein Momin of Congress in 2013, is leading in Mendipathar assembly seat in North Garo Hills. Momin, the NPP candidate this time, trails

Conrad Sangma’s National People's Party candidate YB Angam Phom is leading in Longleng town, Nagaland; NPF and BJP trail

The NPF alliance is ahead in 31/60 seats in Nagaland but the NDPP-BJP alliance is not far behind with 25 seats

Belying early trends on Saturday, it's not Left Front but BJP that could be heading for a historic victory in Tripura - if trends hold. Currently BJP leading in 35 and Left Front 24. By end of day, Left could be reduced to governing one state in India

BJP could soon see its first chief minister in #Tripura. BJP is now leading in 38/60. Many rounds of counting are yet to go but gloom descending among CPI(M) workers tells its own story. Left has lost most of its leads which saw it surge ahead early on Saturday; but later rounds have completely turned the tables

NDPP-BJP alliance candidate K Tokugha Sukhalu (NDPP) leads in Zunheboto, Nagaland. Hukavi Zhimomi of Naga People’s Front trails

NPF candidate Dr Chumben Murry leads in Wokha, Nagaland; BJP and JD(U) candidates trail

Congress remains the single largest party in Meghalaya but it may yet not be enough. Many rounds of counting to go but Congress remains far below majority at present, leading in 23/60 seats

The Congress, which had seen many party members in Jirang quit after candidate Witness Syngkli was nominated, and which was trailing behind sitting MLA PDF candidate Lamboklang Mylliem all morning, has now taken the lead in Jirang assembly seat in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya

NDPP-BJP alliance candidate Tokheho Yepthomi leads in Dimapur III seat. The former NPF leader was removed as Parliamentary Affairs Minister by Chief Minister TR Zeliang in December 2017

Sitting MLA NPP leader James Sangma, son of late Purno Sangma and brother of party leader Conrad Sangma, is trailing in Dadenggre assembly seat in West Garo Hills. Independent candidate June Eliana Marak leads

Congress candidate Dikkanchi Shira, also the wife of Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, is leading in Mahendraganj assembly seat in South West Garo Hills

With Congress emerging the single largest party as per leads, but still short of the majority, Congress and BJP leaders have begun a tussle over who will form the government in Meghalaya. CNN News18 reported that senior leaders Kamal Nath, Mukul Wasnik and Ahmed Patel have left for Shillong. Meanwhile, ANI reported Ram Madhav, BJP’s National General Secretary as saying that “In Meghalaya a divided result is a possibility, we will see that a non-Congress Govt is formed there. Himanta Biswa Sarma ji is leaving for Meghalaya shortly." Nalin Kohli, BJP’s Meghalaya incharge, said "the vote is basically against the Congress if you see the performance of other parties. Leaders will discuss if there can be possibility of a post poll alliance.”

As with Tripura, early trends on counting day showed the NPF alliance in Nagaland surging ahead of the NDPP-BJP alliance. Later rounds of counting have now put the NDPP-BJP ahead with leads in 32/60 seats. If this holds, Neiphiu Rio is likely to become the next chief minister of Nagaland

Outgoing CPI(M) Tripura CM Manik Sarkar, having seen the Left Front establishing a big lead in early rounds of counting in Tripura, saw his hopes dashed as the BJP-IPTF alliance came from behind to not only overtake the Left, but hand it a crushing defeat - if trends hold. Sarkar’s dream run as Chief Minister of Tripura for five consecutive terms, has come to an end today. A sea of saffron has drowned red Tripura

The Congress party, which had won nine seats in Tripura in 2013, has thus far failed to lead in any seat in 2018. The party had earlier lost 6 of the 9 MLAs to Trinamool Congress, all of whom then went on to join the BJP

BJP candidate Dr Kapin Ch Boro leads in Tikrikila assembly seat in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Boro had come fourth in this seat in the 2013 elections, which he fought as an independent

NPP candidate Pongseng Marak leads in Bajengdoba assembly seat in North Garo Hills; Brigady Marak (Congress) and John Marak (BJP) trail. Brigady Marak is the sitting MLA. He has won the election as an independent in 2013

Sitting CPI(M) MLA Haricharan Sarkar leads in Bamutia assembly seat in West Tripura district

BJP candidate Surajit Datta leads in Ramnagar assembly seat in West Tripura district. Datta had lost the 2013 election in this seat on a Congress ticket. Sitting MLA Ratan Das of CPI(M) trails

Sitting MLA Bijita Nath, minister for Social Welfare & Social Education, Welfare of OBC and Science, Technology and Environment in the outgoing Manik Sarkar government, leads in Bagbassa assembly seat in North Tripura district

Kalyani Roy of BJP leads in Teliamura assembly seat in Khowai district. Sitting CPI(M) MLA Gouri Das trails

BJP candidate V Kashiho leads in Seyochung Sitimi assembly seat in Kiphire district, Nagaland. Sitting MLA C Kipili Sangtam of NPF trails

Total Seats: 60; Election held: 59; Results declared: 17

Congress won 8, leading in 12

NPP won 3, leading in 16

BJP leading in 2

UDP won 2, leading in 4

KHNAM won 1

HSPDP won 1, leading in 1

PDF, leading in 4

NCP, leading in 1

IND won 2, leading in 2

Sitting MLA NPP leader James Sangma, son of late Purno Sangma and brother of party leader Conrad Sangma, is now leading in Dadenggre assembly seat in West Garo Hills, after trailing Independent candidate June Eliana Marak earlier on Saturday.

BJP and its alliance partner, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, surged ahead of the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front in the counting of votes for the 59 assembly constituencies in Tripura. Read more on National Herald.

If trends hold, Meghalaya seems to have thrown up a hung assembly again, leading to a Congress-BJP tussle for government formation. Congress is leading in 22 seats, followed closely by NPP with 18. Read more on National Herald.

Total Seats : 60, Election held: 59; Trends/Results available: 54

NPF won 9, leading in 16

NDPP won 3, leading in 12

BJP won 1, leading in 8

JD(U) leading in 1

NPP leading in 3

IND leading in 1

Aghore Debbarma, Tripura Agriculture minister in the outgoing Manik Sarkar CPI(M) government was defeated by a margin of 6,988 votes by his nearest rival Mevar Kumar Jamatiya of IPFT in Asharambari ST constituency, Election Commission sources said. Aghore Debbarma secured 12,200 votes, while Jamatiya secured 19,188 votes.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the election results were not on expected lines and he would keep his cards close to his chest with regard to the Congress forming government in the state. Sangma's comments came as the trends suggested Meghalaya was heading for a hung Assembly. According to the available trends for Meghalaya, the Congress has won nine seats and is leading in 11. The NPP has won three seats and is ahead in 16 seats. The BJP is leading in two seats. Smaller parties and Independents have grabbed six seats and forged ahead in 12 seats. The Congress has been in power in Meghalaya since 2003 and Sangma has been at the helm of affairs since 2010.

Outgoing CPI(M) Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar leading in Dhanpur assembly seat in Sepahijala district

PDF candidate Jason Sawkmie Mawlong leading in Umsning assembly seat in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya; Public Health Engineering Minister Celestine Lyngdoh of Congress trails

NDPP candidate Awan Konyak, an Eastern Naga student leader, ahead in Aboi assembly seat in Mon district

After the impressive performance of the BJP and its allies in Tripura and Nagaland assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said people are reposing faith in the development oriented agenda of the NDA while rejecting negative and disconnected politics. He said his party's historic victory in Tripura is "as much an ideological one". He thanked the people of Nagaland for supporting BJP and its allies. "I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit," he said. He said the welfare of Meghalaya is of utmost importance for his government