Editor's Pick | Poll verdict today in J&K and Haryana

Vote counting gets underway in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir today (October 8), after intense campaigning and a stiff poll battle between factions. Exit polls have suggested a Congress win in Haryana. They have also predicted that the Congress alliance with National Conference in J&K will pull ahead in J&K. A day ahead of the counting, parties across the political spectrum expressed confidence that it was their faction that would emerge victorious. In Haryana, the Congress camp witnessed some familiar turmoil over their pick for the Chief Minister’s post. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda asserted that he was “neither tired nor retired”, while his competitor Kumari Selja said that the final call would be taken by the high command. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini rejected the exit polls and claimed the BJP would be back in power for a third term with full majority. The Congress will then blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), he alleged. Read more about the parties in the fray in Haryana here. Meanwhile, in J&K, Assembly elections were held after a gap of 10 years. Always a turbulent political landscape, further complicating factors have arisen after it was made a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370. Exit polls have projected that the Congress-NC alliance will emerge as the single largest pre-poll alliance in the region. However, the lower end of the seat projection points to the possibility of a hung Assembly in J&K. Read more about the alliances at play in J&K over here. NC president Farooq Abdullah has indicated that he may be willing to consider allying with rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for government formation. “We have to go together. There is a need to put up a united face to pull J&K out of the mess it has been plunged into since August 5, 2019. Even if we don’t need it, we will take the support [of the PDP],” he said. However, NC vice president Omar Abdullah said in a post on X that neither the PDP nor independent candidates had extended support and said that he wished the public could “put a lid on all premature speculation for the next 24 hours.” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, also the daughter of party president Mehbooba Mufti, has also urged middle-rung party leaders to refrain from commenting on post-poll alliances, saying that any decisions would be considered post the declaration of poll results. If no party notches up the required number of seats, the J&K election results could prompt a legal battle. Further challenges exist. Per Section 15 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of J&K can nominate two women to the Assembly if in his opinion, women are not adequately represented in the Legislative Assembly. The Act was subsequently amended in 2023 to insert sub-clauses 15A and 15B, which provide for the nomination of two members from the Kashmiri migrants category and one member from among the persons displaced from Pakistan-occupied J&K. While BJP leaders have suggested that the L-G could nominate five MLAs from its party, Dr. Abdullah said this was a step to be taken by the elected government. He urged the L-G to stay away from this nomination exercise and indicated that they were willing to approach the Supreme Court if this takes place. Additionally, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, via a post on X, accused the BJP of “brazen pre result rigging & shameful manipulation.” “Might as well have nominated all 90 members instead. Why even hold elections? 1987s stolen election took J&K to the brink. Yet no lessons learnt?” she wrote. The Hindu’s Editorials The discovery of microRNA changed the understanding of gene regulation The deaths at the air show in Chennai could have been prevented with better arrangements The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When was the last time India and Pakistan held talks at a ministerial level? 2019 2016 2018 2015 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 08 October 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 08 October 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Poll verdict today in J&K and Haryana Vote counting gets underway in [Haryana]( and [Jammu & Kashmir]( today (October 8), after intense campaigning and a stiff poll battle between factions. Exit polls have suggested a Congress win in Haryana. They have also predicted that the Congress alliance with National Conference in J&K will pull ahead in J&K. A day ahead of the counting, parties across the political spectrum expressed confidence that it was their faction that would emerge victorious. In Haryana, the Congress camp witnessed some familiar turmoil over their pick for the Chief Minister’s post. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda asserted that he was “neither tired nor retired”, while his competitor Kumari Selja said that the final call would be taken by the high command. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini rejected the exit polls and claimed the BJP would be back in power for a third term with full majority. The Congress will then blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), he alleged. Read more about the parties in the [fray in Haryana here.]( Meanwhile, in J&K, Assembly elections were held after a gap of 10 years. Always a turbulent political landscape, further complicating factors have arisen after it was made a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370. Exit polls have projected that the Congress-NC alliance will emerge as the single largest pre-poll alliance in the region. However, the lower end of the seat projection points to the possibility of a hung Assembly in J&K. [Read more about the alliances at play in J&K over here.]( NC president Farooq Abdullah has indicated that he may be willing to consider allying with rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for government formation. “We have to go together. There is a need to put up a united face to pull J&K out of the mess it has been plunged into since August 5, 2019. Even if we don’t need it, we will take the support [of the PDP],” he said. However, NC vice president Omar Abdullah said in a post on X that neither the PDP nor independent candidates had extended support and said that he wished the public could “put a lid on all premature speculation for the next 24 hours.” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, also the daughter of party president Mehbooba Mufti, has also urged middle-rung party leaders to refrain from commenting on post-poll alliances, saying that any decisions would be considered post the declaration of poll results. If no party notches up the required number of seats, the J&K election results could prompt a legal battle. Further challenges exist. Per Section 15 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of J&K can nominate two women to the Assembly if in his opinion, women are not adequately represented in the Legislative Assembly. The Act was subsequently amended in 2023 to insert sub-clauses 15A and 15B, which provide for the nomination of two members from the Kashmiri migrants category and one member from among the persons displaced from Pakistan-occupied J&K. While BJP leaders have suggested that the L-G could nominate five MLAs from its party, Dr. Abdullah said this was a step to be taken by the elected government. He urged the L-G to stay away from this nomination exercise and indicated that they were willing to approach the Supreme Court if this takes place. Additionally, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, via a post on X, accused the BJP of “brazen pre result rigging & shameful manipulation.” “Might as well have nominated all 90 members instead. Why even hold elections? 1987s stolen election took J&K to the brink. Yet no lessons learnt?” she wrote. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][The discovery of microRNA changed the understanding of gene regulation]( [Arrow][The deaths at the air show in Chennai could have been prevented with better arrangementsÂ]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When was the last time India and Pakistan held talks at a ministerial level? - 2019 - 2016 - 2018 - 2015 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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