Election 2014 - updates

Dumka parliamentary seat that is also known as Nandigram of Jharkhand is witnessing a sharp contest among two former chief ministers-Shibu Soren of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. They are facing stiff contest with Sunil Soren of Bhartiya Janta Party. Latest Election Commission figures say that Shibu Soren and Sunil Soren are in neck and neck fight

Dumka that witnessed police firing at Kathikund over establishment of 1,000MW thermal power plant constructed by Kolkata based RPG group in 2009 is still incensed by forceful land acquisition and displacement

In 2011, Trinamool Congress led a massive protest march in Dumka to chase away RPG group from forcefully acquiring the tribal land

However, former chief minister, Babulal Marandi who has a clean image has failed to win the heart of voters. Marandi till 1.00 pm got 30,166 votes. Shibu Soren got 67,743 votes and Sunil Soren got 67137 votes

AAP candidate from Patna Sahib, Praveen Amanullah, who took on dreaded don Anant Singh, a JD(U) MLA, for encroaching a public park in Patliputra Colony is faring badly. She registered only 4,124 votes till 1.30pm

Mixed results for clean and effective governance from Jharkhand

In Singhbum constituency, sitting BJP MP Laxman Gilua is leading with 83,255 votes. The constituency is infamous for multi-crore rupees mining scam by former chief minister Madhu Koda who has fielded his wife Geeta Koda on Jai Bharat Samata Party. Both candidates are in direct tussle

Around seven panchayats in the Saranda forests of this constituency cast their vote after 15 years. Heavy naxal activity and illegal mining are two prime issues during the election

At Khunti constituency, AAP candidate, Dayamani Barla has failed to impress the voters. Barla who had been fighting for land rights and tribal rights is at sixth position

BJP candidate Karia Munda is leading and he has direct figt with Anosh Ekka of Jharkhand Party. Munda is leading by around 70,000 votes

Till 12:45 PM, a total 1,889,000 None-Of-The-Above (NOTA) votes were recorded across India, which is about 1.1 per cent of the total vote share. Scarred by deforestation and mining issues among others, Meghalaya has the highest share of NOTA votes cast in a state at 2.8 per cent. Interestingly, the highest number of NOTA votes have been cast in Gujarat--335,673 votes.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the sitting MP, wins in Bathinda, Punjab, the cancer hot bed of the state. Her win does not come as a respite for cancer patients as she has not taken up their issues in her last tenure when cancer cases were on a rise in the district. She has been accused by Manpreet Singh Badal for living in Delhi, instead of Bathinda and ignoring the patients

It seems that the Telangana Rashtriya Samithy (TRS)is all set to form the first government in Telangana, the 29th state which will come into existence on June 2. Out of the 119 Assembly seats, TRS is leading in 63 seats and the Congress is leading in 20. Congress had an upper hand in the local body elections. However, the trend is reversed in the elections to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha.

In Seemandhra, out of the 175 Assembly seats, the Telugu Desam Party is leading in 104 and the YSR Congress Party is leading in 65

Biju Janata Dal is sweeping Odisha, including coastal areas. The party's win is being attributed to disaster management and evacuation during cyclone Phailin last year and rehabilitation thereafter

Mining scam-tainted leaders win Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

B S Yeddyurappa, who had to vacate the chief minister's chair in 2011 following the Lokayukta report on iron ore mining in Bellary, has won the Shimoga constituency.

B Sriramulu, who was a minister in Yeddyurappa's Cabinet and close associate of mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, won Bellary constituency. He had to quit his office after the scam

Both Yeddyurappa and Sriramulu had resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party and formed their own political parties, However, in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP re-inducted both of them into the party. Sriramulu even faces criminal charges, including attempted murder in a case dating back to 2007. He had declared an asset of Rs 15 crore when he registered as a candidate

Narendra Bhati of Samajwadi Party, who is known to be a mining baron in Gautam Buddha Nagar (Greater Noida), is trailing BJP candidate Mahesh Sharma by 17,002 votes. Durga Shakti Nagpal, former SDM in the area, was allegedly suspended after her tiff with Bhati. Her strict action against sand mining mafia had brought her into direct conflict with Bhati, allegedly on whose behest, her dismissal orders were issued

Singer Babul Supriyo from BJP leads in Bengal's industrial and coal belt of Asansol. Two times MP from left trailing

With independent candidates leading the show, Bodo Peoples' Front trails in third position in violence-hit Kokrajhar seat in Assam. Close contest between former Rajya Sabha MP, Urkhao Gwra Brahma and former ULFA commander, Naba Kumar Sarania in Kokrajhar

Himmat Singh Shergill, AAP candidate for Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, is trailing behind Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress. Shergill had been fighting the case of Sikh farmers in Kutch, Gujarat, who were being evicted from their land because of huge limestone reserve under it. He had made this issue a major poll plank in Punjab. In Kutch, however, Chavda Vinod Lakhamashi of BJP is leading

In Kerala, out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress-led United Democratic Front is leading in 12; the CPI(M)-led Democratic Front in 8. Initially BHP has established a lead in Thiruvananthapuram. However, it is trailing now.

In Idukki, where Kasturirangan report and the conservation of the Western Ghats were the poll issues, LDF candidate Joyce George has established a good lead of more than 14,000 votes. The LDF had taken a stand against Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports for conserving Western Ghats. Joyce George has the support of the Catholic Church in Idukki.

In Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) seems all set to sweep the Lok Sabha elections. The AIADMK which contested all the 39 Lok Sabha seats alone is leading in 37 seats out of the available trends for all 39 seats in the state. The party cadre is elated and celebrations have already started in the AIADMK camp with party workers gathering in front of chief minister Jayalaithaa's residence and bursting crackers

In the 2004 elections, AIADMK had suffered a massive defeat, losing all the 39 seats in the state. It was in alliance with BJP. In the 2009 elections, AIADMK won 9 seats in alliance with PMK, MDMK and two left parties

Kanubhai Kalsariya' AAP candidate from Bhavnagar, who had been leading the agitation against Gujarat government's decision to give 4,500 hectares (ha) to the Nirma group for setting up a cement plant and for mining limestone, is trailing behind BJP's Bharatiben Dhirubai Shiyal and Congress' Rathod Pravibhai Jinabhai

Counting for 42 Lok Sabha and 294 Assembly seats in undivided Andhra Pradesh is progressing. States of Telangana and Seemandhra are set to form their first governments after bifurcation.

Polling for 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats in Telangana region was held in April 30 and for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats across 13 districts in Seemandhra on May 7. These were the last elections in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. Telangana, the 29th state, will come into existence on June 2.

In Telangana, Telangana Rashtriya Samithi is ahead of other parties while in Seemandhra Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is leading. Out of the 15 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, TRS is leading in 12. In Seemandhra, out of 25 Lok Sabha seats TDP-BJP is leading in 15 constituencies.

Grand arrangements of Kumbh Mela could not win votes for Samajwadi Party in Allahabad that had been grappling with severe civic problems. Shyama Charan Gupta, Managing Director of Shyam Biri Works, and BJP candidate from Allahabad constituency is leading over popular Samajwadi Party leader Rewati Raman Singh by 4,784 votes

In Bengal's tea belt where starvation deaths are regular and malnutrition rampant, left parties are nowhere to be seen. BJP leads in Darjeeling seat and TMC set to wrest Jalpaiguri seat from CPM

Rachna Dhingra, AAP candidate from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, is trailing behind Alok Sanjar of BJP and P C Sharma of Congress. Dhingra had been raising the issue of safe disposal of 350 tonnes of toxic waste from Bhopal gas disaster site (Union Carbide Plant) in Bhopal that had been contaminating the ground water of the region

Former chief minister and Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna's son, Saket Bahuguna,is trailing by 19,450 votes behind Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah (BJP)in Tehri Garhwal constituency. B C Khanduri of BJP is leading in Garhwal by 53,696 votes over rival Harak Singh Rawat, former agriculture minister of the state

Both Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Indore (Anil Trivedi) and Khandwa (Alok Agarwal) are trailing. They were opposing the increase of water level in the Narmada dam reservoir. Does water level in Narmada Dam not matter to people?

In Uttarakhand, where the June 2013 flood disaster claimed more than 5000 lives and rehabilitation has been a major poll plank, Congress may suffer a crushing defeat. In all the five constituencies in the state, BJP is leading

Trends in ST seats: In Manipur, Naga People's Front is leading Outer Manipur and Congress in Mizoram. In Odisha, Congress is leading in Koraput. BJP is leading in Rajasthan's Banswara seat. In West Bengal, TMC is leading in Alipurdas. In Chhattisgarh, BJP is leading in Sarguja, Kanker and Bastar. BJP is leading in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In Lakshadweep, NCP is leading

Aditya Nath from BJP leading in Gorakhpur. He has been raising the issue of Japanese Encephalitis. Now that his party BJP is winning at the Centre, will it make any real change on the ground?

Across the tribal constituencies, Congress is losing. Does this mean the instrument of the Forest Rights Act has not worked for the Congress? The party talked about the legislation in its campaigns in the tribal areas, particularly the party vice president Rahul Gandhi cited the law as 'significant' empowerment for the tribal and forest dwellers

In Kalahandi constituency where the Niyamgiri is located and centre of a fierce anti-mining campaign supported by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is trailing

Trends on ST seats: In Assam,Congress is leading in autonomous district; Congress and independent candidate Urkhao Gawari Brahma is leading in Kokrajhar. BJP is leading in Gujarat's Dohad seat and Chhota Udaipur. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP is leading in Sidhi, Shahdol and Mandla seats. In Maharashtra, Congress is leading in Nandurbar, and BJP in Dindori

Celebrities help TMC lead in backward and rural West Bengal- singer Saumitra Khan in Bishnupur, actress Satabdi Roy in Birbhum, actress Sandhya Roy in Medinipur, actor Dev in Ghatal.

In the iron ore-rich Bellary constituency in Karnataka, mine-scam-tainted B Sriramulu, the Bharatiya Janatha Party candidate leads ahead of his rival, N Y Hanumanthappa, former Odisha chief justice and the Indian National Congress candidate

In Idukki constituency of Kerala where Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats was the poll issue, the Left Democratic Front candidate, Joyce George, is leading. He was ahead of his rival Dean Kuriakose by 1,500 votes when counting for 16 per cent votes was over. LDF had campaigned strongly against both the Kasturirangan and Madhav Gadgil Committee reports for conservation of Western Ghats

India is heading for a majority government after 1984; BJP is seemingly riding a wave

In Vidharbha region of Maharashtra, infamous for farmers suicides, the BJP is gaining. Outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had declared a special package for the region. Experts say bad implementation led to anti-incumbency

Counting of votes has started; 551 million voters had cast their votes this election

As compared to 2000 elections, about 100 million more voters have voted this time

About 47.6 per cent voters are women; 21 out of 35 states/UTs have a proportion of female voters that is higher than that of the national proportion

Social media, in combination with the significant youth and middle class voters, may emerge as another swing factor in results

More than 100 environment activists are contesting elections; the highest ever number

These candidates, according to Indianenvironmentportal.org, have mostly taken up local environment and development issues

Eight states/UTs have a higher percentage of female voters than male

The national capital territory of Delhi has the lowest proportion of female voters

Women voters are perceived to be a major decider in current elections; in rural areas of states like Jharkhand, UP and Tamil Nadu they may have a huge impact on the result of polls

About 22 million voters are in age group of 18-19; the first generation born after India adopted free market economy in 1992

Will Bihar voters opt for 'Bihar model' or the 'Gujarat model'? This elections has witnessed many development models being debated

How have the tribals voted? It will be interesting to track how the Forest Rights Act has influenced the election outcome in ST constituencies