Assembly Election results: BJP takes early lead in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

BJP on Monday said it was confident of retaining power in Gujarat as vote count showed its candidates were racing ahead in 82 of the 182 Assembly seats.

Trends emerging from counting centres showed that BJP candidates were racing ahead in seven of the 68 seats while Congress nominees were in the lead in four in HP.

The verdict will decide the fate of 337 candidates including Chief Ministerial nominees Virbhadra Singh (Congress) and Prem Kumar Dhumal (BJP). A total of 37,83,580 people voted in Himachal -- a record 75.28 per cent polling.

The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies in HP. Most exit polls have indicated the BJP's return to power with an absolute majority.

HP has alternately elected Congress and BJP governments since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents won six seats.

"We are going to form a government in Gujarat. People have voted for us on development issues," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told the media.

It was the first Assembly election in Gujarat since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. Modi had led the BJP to victory in the election in 2012.