Election results LIVE: Congress ahead in Rajasthan; MP on razor's edge

Business Standard: Election results 2018 LIVE: Counting of votes in five states is underway. Congress candidates took significant lead in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh and was inching ahead of the BJP in Rajasthan. The two parties were locked in neck-and-neck fight in Madhya Pradesh.

Early trends from counting centres also showed that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) appeared set to retain power in Telangana while the ruling Congress was lagging behind the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram in state elections that were widely dubbed a "semi-final" ahead of the Lok Sabha battle next year.

In line with exit polls, the Congress appeared to be returning to power after a five-year gap in Rajasthan, the country's largest state which has not re-elected a ruling party in recent times. And in a reversal of trends, the Congress overtook the BJP in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Both states the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled for 15 years.

In Chhattisgarh, the Congress was ahead in 44 of the 90 seats, giving a fright to the BJP, whose Chief Minister Raman Singh was at one time trailing in the vote count from Rajnandgaon before he overtook his rivals later.

In Mizoram, the ruling Congress was trailing to the MNF, whose candidates were ahead in 16 of the 40 seats. The Congress was ahead in five seats, losing as many as 10 seats. BS