The alliance of the BJP and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) looks set to form the largest bloc in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, if not secure a simple majority.
By noon on Saturday, more than four hours after counting started, the BJP-NDPP was leading in 32 seats against the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF), which was leading in 24 seats.
The BJP, which contested in 20 seats, was leading in 10 seats, with the NDPP bagging the rest.
A win for the BJP alliance would be a monumental achievement, given that Nagaland is a Christian majority state, where some Christian churches had issued a diktat to people to vote against the BJP given its perceived hardline Hindutva agenda.