Counting of votes in the Punjab Assembly elections began at 8am on Thursday. By 9.30am, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had taken a clear lead over rivals, though it is too early to predict if the party would sweep the elections, as predicted by several exit polls.
At 9.30am, AAP was leading in 52 seats, while the incumbent Congress was ahead in 37 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP coalition was leading in 21 seats and the BJP's alliance with Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress was leading in seven seats.
To secure a simple majority, a party or coalition needs to win 59 of the 117 seats.
Given the AAP's early lead, party supporters appear to have already begun celebrations. Video clips of AAP supporters dancing outside his house in Sangrur were shared on Twitter. Mann, the Lok Sabha MP for Sangrur, is contesting from Dhuri. Mann was leading in Dhuri by over 4,000 votes against his nearest rival, Dalvir Singh Goldy of the Congress.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was trailing by around 2,000 votes against Labh Singh Ugoke of AAP in Bhadaur, one of two seats he was contesting from. Channi was also trailing in Chamkaur Sahib, his other constituency, by a margin of just around 1,200 votes against Charanjit Singh of the AAP.
The Tribune reported AAP was leading in all eight seats of Patiala district. Amarinder Singh, who was chief minister of Punjab till seven months ago, was trailing by over 5,800 votes against Ajit Pal Kohli in the Patiala Urban constituency.
Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Badal was trailing against AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Khadian.
