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Exit polls from Assembly elections in all five states surprisingly indicate that the '<keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> wave' is still in effect 
 BJP is projected to make impressive gains in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> and Manipur and fight tough in Goa. 
 But for Punjab, where its alliance with the <keyword id="6357030" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiromani-Akali-Dal">Shiromani Akali Dal</keyword> seemed doomed from the start, the party's leadership can feel happy for now. 
 Apart from the BJP, the Congress and the <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> also fared well. 
 If we had to look at the real losers in the game, they are SAD and the <keyword id="6354265" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="samajwadi-party">Samajwadi Party</keyword>. 
 
The Congress is showing a comeback in Punjab after almost a decade, fighting neck and neck in Goa and performing decently in Uttarakhand, despite a bunch of defections. 
 
Electoral alliance with the SP in Uttar Pradesh benefitted it, but ended up marring SP's performance. 
 
In Manipur, meanwhile, the BJP made impressive gains, but the exit polls show the Congress managed to fight back some as the battle is still neck and neck. 
 
 
As for AAP, in Punjab, it has gone from non-existent in 2012 to between 60-70 seats according to exit polls. 
 
As per exit polls, the Congress or AAP will take Punjab, the BJP is leading - by a lot - in Uttar Pradesh, and the BJP or the Congress will take Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. 
 
Pretty impressive showing by the BJP which didn't project chief ministerial candidates in any of the states it contested - except for maybe in Goa. 
 
Exit poll results 
Uttar Pradesh is staring at the prospect of a hung Assembly, as most exit polls predict huge gains here for the BJP but not an outright majority needed to form the government. 
 
In Punjab, the race between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is too close to call. 
 
Three exit polls give the BJP a clear majority in the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly. 
 
The CVoter survey predicted that the BJP will emerge as the largest single party in Manipur, dethroning the Congress for the first time in 15 years. On the other hand, the Axis exit poll gives Congress the lead in the state, with a cautious prediction that it will remain in power. 
 
The CVoter exit poll predicts a close-fought battle between the Congress and the BJP to gain control of Goa, with both parties unlikely to gain a clear majority in the 40-member state assembly.

Exit polls come to an end, 'Modi card' helps BJP stay ahead in the electoral race

CVoter predicts <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) will open its account in the state with a majority. 
 
Seat share The magic number in <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword> is 59. CVoter predicts AAP winning between 59 and 67 seats in the 117-strong Assembly. This is up from nil in the 2012 Punjab elections. The <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> party's showing has remained about the same as in 2012. It's predicted to have won between 41 and 49 seats. In 2012, the Congress won 46 seats. The SAD-BJP combine is predicted to have been decimated winning just between 5 and 13 seats, compared with its 2012 showing, when it won as many as 68 seats. 
 
Region-wise break up 
AAP is projected to have gained big in Malwa, at the cost of the SAD-BJP combine. CVoter predicts AAP likely won 42 seats there, with SAD-BJP managing to get just 5 seats. By cmparison, in 2012, SAD-BJP won 33 seats in Malwa in 2012. The Congress is also projected to have lost seats in Malwa. It's expected to have won 16 seats, down from 2012's 28 seats. 
 
In the Doab region, SAD-BJP is projected to have dropped to 2 seats from 16 in 2012. The Congress is projected to have gained here with 19 seats, up from 2012's 11. And AAP is projected to have won 6 seats. 
 SAD-BJP is predicted to have lost big in the <keyword id="523107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="manjha">Manjha</keyword> region too. It's expected to be down to 2 seats from 19 in 2012. The Congress is expected to have gained three seats in Manjha with CVoter predicting it won 10. AAP is expected to have won 15 seats. 
 
Share of per centage of votes 
The SAD-BJP combine's projected loss of seats reflects in its projected vote share loss as well. The combine's vote share is expected to have dropped by a huge 20.5 per cent, down to 21.4 per cent from 42.9 per cent in 2012. Despite Amarinder, the Congress too is projected to have lost vote share. CVoter's projection shows the Congress vote share is down to 36.3 per cent from 2012's 40.1 per cent. 
 
 CVoterpolled a sample size of 13,717 people. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 per cent.

Punjab exit poll: AAP will open its account with majority

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Prime+Minister+Narendra+Modi+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Prime Minister Narendra Modi </a>is facing the biggest electoral test of the year and it is starting with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Punjab&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Punjab</a> and the tiny southern state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Goa&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Goa</a>, followed by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Uttar+Pradesh&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Uttar Pradesh</a>. <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> led <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BJP&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BJP</a> has invested heavily in the campaign, holding a series of rallies in both <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword> and <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> in an attempt to ease concerns about his sudden cash clampdown that has hit rural voters the hardest. 
 
A rookie regional party is proving to be a threat to PM Modi in the northwest state of Punjab as it is harnessing distress over rural debt and a deepening drug epidemic. 
 This might cost the regional <keyword id="6357030" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiromani-Akali-Dal">Shiromani Akali Dal</keyword> and Modi's <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> dearly. Both have been ruling the state in coalition for a decade. 
 
If BJP looses in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, it will be a major setback as it will weaken its authority and cramp its ability to initiate tough reforms and push its legislative agenda in Parliament. 
 
According to most of the polls, the ruling coalition will lose power in Punjab, with the outcome split between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which until now counts only the urban state of Delhi as its power base. 
 
Parties like the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which translates as 'common man', are polling strongly in the state. 
 
"Among the five states, it is only in Punjab that the Congress has a chance to win. If it wins there it will help the party to revive to face the 2019 elections strongly. If AAP wins, it will expand more aggressively," he said. "If it fails there, it will crash Kejriwal's ambition to emerge as a national leader to check Modi," Pramod Kumar, director of the Chandigarh-based Institute for Development and Communication, told ET.

PM Modi faces biggest electoral test as regional parties ignite fire in rural areas

At 89, he is the country’s oldest serving Chief Minister. And he is showing no signs of giving up any time soon. Punjab Chief Minister <keyword id="55130" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parkash-Singh-Badal">Parkash Singh Badal</keyword> is now in full election mode and is telling the electorate that their votes will give him another 10 years of life. 
 
“Your vote is important. If you give me another chance to serve you, it will add 10 years to my life,” Badal, who is actively reaching out to people across Punjab through his ‘Sangat Darshan’ programmes across rural and urban areas, has been telling the people in recent weeks. 
 Punjab’s ruling <keyword id="6357030" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiromani-Akali-Dal">Shiromani Akali Dal</keyword>, of which he is the chief patron, is seeking a straight third term in office with Badal being at the helm of affairs. 
 As he turns 89 on December 8, Badal certainly does not fit Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s idea that “politicians should retire at the age of 75”. But for Badal, who has been a long-time ally for the <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP), Modi certainly will make an exception. 
 As the five-time Punjab Chief Minister seeks a sixth term in office, and faces a tough challenge from the Congress and the new entrant on Punjab’s political scene — the <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) — Badal is certainly not showing any signs of getting tired or even retiring any time soon. 
 His political opponent and former Chief Minister, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, disputes his age. Amarinder claims that Badal is already actually 94. (He made the claim last week in the presence of Badal’s son <keyword id="6375801" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sukhbir-Badal">Sukhbir Badal</keyword> at an event in New Delhi.) 
 
“Badal saab”, as he is referred to by most people around him, starts his day early and actively goes through his daily routine of meetings with officers, ministers, delegations and others who come to meet him. 
 
Badal’s “Sangat Darshan” (meeting with the people) programme takes him to several villages and towns across Punjab every week. The programme is basically to take the government to the people’s doorsteps and hundreds throng every venue where he stops and listens to problems and suggestions the people want to share with him. 
 
Those close to him say “Badal saab” is always active and alert despite his age. He has been in public life for nearly 70 years now. 
 
“He is quite alert and his memory is far better than most of the much younger people who are around him. He has a mass appeal which no one can match,” an aide told IANS. 
 
Hailing from a simple agricultural background, Badal forayed into politics by getting elected as a sarpanch (village headman) in 1947, the year the country won its Independence. He was first elected to the Punjab assembly in 1957 on a Congress party ticket. After leaving the Congress soon after, Badal ended up opposing the Congress policies and governments — a thing he continues to do even now. 
 Well-known for his witty one-liners and memory of people and events, Badal, who was conferred the <keyword id="15575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Padma-Vibhushan">Padma Vibhushan</keyword> — the country’s second-highest civilian honour — in 2015 by the Modi government, has always remained centre-stage in Punjab’s politics. 
 
Born December 8, 1927, at Abul Khurana village near Malout in southwest Punjab, he has been Chief Minister five times — 1970-71, 1977-1980, 1997-2002, 2007-2012 and 2012 onwards. He has been in power in Punjab continuously since March 2007. He was briefly a Union minister in 1977 in the Morarji Desai government. 
 
Badal’s wife, Surinder Kaur, died in 2011 of cancer. The couple had two children — son Sukhbir and daughter Preneet. 
 Badal’s close family members are all in the government. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Akali Dal President and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, now dominates both party and government affairs. Badal’s daughter-in-law <keyword id="301801" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harsimrat-Badal">Harsimrat Badal</keyword> is the Union Minister for Food Processing. His son-in-law Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon is a cabinet minister in his government as is Harsimrat’s younger brother, Bikram Singh Majithia.

Meet India's oldest Chief Minister. At 89, he seeks votes to add 10 years to life

<keyword id="19941210" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut" source="keywords">Kangana Ranaut</keyword>’s much-anticipated film Emergency, a biographical drama centered on former Prime Minister <keyword id="19913949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi" source="keywords">Indira Gandhi</keyword>, has been delayed due to a certification battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Initially slated for a September 6 release, the film has faced hurdles as the CBFC's revising committee suggested certain cuts before issuing a certificate. The <keyword id="19905533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-High-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bombay High Court" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bombay High Court">Bombay High Court</keyword> is now involved, with further hearings scheduled, raising questions about when the film will finally hit theatres. <h2>The battle for certification</h2>On Thursday, the CBFC told the Bombay High Court that a certificate would be issued to Emergency only if the recommended cuts were made. Ranaut, who directed, co-produced, and stars as Indira Gandhi in the film, had accused the CBFC of intentionally delaying the film's release by withholding certification. She suggested that the delay was politically motivated, especially given the upcoming elections in states like Haryana. The film's co-producer, <keyword id="20068359" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zee-Entertainment" source="keywords">Zee Entertainment</keyword> Enterprises, took the matter to court, seeking a directive for the CBFC to issue the required certificate. The division bench of Justices B.P. Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla expressed frustration with the CBFC’s indecision. In a previous hearing, the court had remarked that the censor board cannot sit on a fence and has to take its decision one way or the other as it would otherwise amount to curtailing the freedom of speech and expression. In response to the court’s directive, CBFC’s counsel Abhinav Chandrachud explained, “The committee has suggested some cuts before a certificate can be issued and the movie can be released.” Senior counsel Sharan Jagtiani, representing Zee Entertainment, requested more time to decide whether these cuts could be accepted, with the court now awaiting a final decision in the next hearing scheduled for September 30. The delay in certification stems partly from objections raised by some <keyword id="23262146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sikh-organisations" source="keywords">Sikh organisations</keyword>, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, accusing the film of misrepresenting their community and historical facts. This controversy has only added to the uncertainty surrounding the film’s release, as sensitive portrayals of political and historical events often attract close scrutiny in India. <h2><keyword id="23323607" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-motivations" source="keywords">Political motivations</keyword></h2>The controversy has led to speculation about political motivations, with Zee Entertainment alleging that the certificate was being withheld due to the upcoming elections in Haryana. This claim has raised eyebrows, given that Kangana Ranaut has been a vocal supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is herself a BJP MP. The court even wondered aloud why the ruling party would take issue with the film. Emergency was expected to be a major release, particularly due to its portrayal of one of the most significant and controversial periods in Indian political history — the 1975-1977 Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, the film’s release is now dependent on the outcome of the ongoing court proceedings and whether Kangana Ranaut and Zee Entertainment are willing to comply with the CBFC’s suggested edits. The CBFC’s recommended cuts have not been publicly disclosed, leaving many wondering what specific elements of the film are in dispute. With the next court hearing scheduled for September 30, it remains to be seen whether Emergency will make its way to theatres soon or face further delays. (With inputs from PTI)

What will it take for Kangana Ranaut’s 'Emergency' to finally hit theatres?

<ul><li><keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> Chief Minister and <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> rebel <keyword id="135403" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="capt-amarinder-singh" source="Orion">Capt Amarinder Singh</keyword> faced a humiliating defeat from AAP's greenhorn Ajit Pal Kohli with over 13,000 votes on Thursday from his stronghold <keyword id="62595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="patiala" source="Orion">Patiala</keyword> (Urban).</li><li>The former's fledgling Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) was contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt), an Akali Dal rebel.</li><li><keyword id="2205232" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="capt-amarinder" source="Orion">Capt Amarinder</keyword> Singh left the Congress just ahead of the polls after the Congress unceremoniously removed him from the helm and he floated his own party.</li></ul>In a major embarrassment for two-time Punjab Chief Minister and Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh in a fag-end of his political career, he faced a humiliating defeat from AAP's greenhorn Ajit Pal Kohli with over 13,000 votes on Thursday from his stronghold Patiala (Urban), the seat that he has won for four consecutive terms since 2002 when he first contested. He is seen as a nationalist, and widely respected leader of the BJP-led alliance. The former's fledgling Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) was contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt), an Akali Dal rebel. In the Congress-ruled state, Arvind Kejriwal's AAP is heading for a landslide win, with the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP far behind. Capt Amarinder Singh left the Congress just ahead of the polls after the Congress unceremoniously removed him from the helm and he floated his own party. A day ahead of the counting of votes, Capt Amarinder Singh exuded full confidence, saying he expected positive verdict by the people of Punjab in favour of his party Punjab Lok Congress and the alliance partners, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Samyukt. In his statement, Capt Amarinder Singh had said, "the counting of votes marks the conclusion of the electoral festival of democracy and we are confident of outstanding results". Capt Amarinder Singh said people of Punjab had understood the importance of a "double-engine" government in Punjab which will watch and safeguard the national interest and help in reviving Punjab's economy. "Promising days are ahead for Punjab", he had remarked. In the 2019 parliamentary polls, Capt Amarinder Singh steered his former party -- the Congress to a victory in his ruling Punjab in eight out of 13 Lok Sabha seats despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wave across the country. At a public meeting ahead of the polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had a special praise for Capt Amarinder Singh that he always rose above partisan considerations when it came to the issues concerning national security. He said when he became the Home Minister in 2019, he felt quite concerned about the security along the Punjab border. "But once I spoke to Capt Amarinder, I felt relaxed," he had recalled at his rally in Patiala town. In 2017, Capt Amarinder Singh, now 80, polled 72,217 votes against nearest rival Balbir Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party, who got just 19,852. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate and former Army chief Gen J.J. Singh (retd) got just 11,613 votes. Gen Singh is now with the BJP. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-s22-series-pixel-6-affected-by-severe-dirty-pipe-vulnerability-that-lets-hackers-intercept-whatsapp-messages-sms-and-more/articleshow/90120028.cms">Samsung Galaxy S22 series, Pixel 6 affected by severe ‘Dirty Pipe’ vulnerability that lets hackers intercept WhatsApp messages, SMS and more</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/india-is-likely-to-promote-upi-rupay-to-de-risk-itself/articleshow/90119399.cms">India is likely to promote UPI, Rupay to de-risk itself</a>

Punjab Elections 2022: Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh loses Patiala seat

<keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> Chief Minister <keyword id="1706337" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Charanjit-Singh-Channi" source="Orion">Charanjit Singh Channi</keyword> is leading from Chamkaur Sahib seat in early trends of counting that began at 8 a.m. on Thursday. However, he is trailing from another seat, Bhadaur. The counting of votes for the 117-Assembly constituencies of Punjab is underway. The AAP has established a clear lead, leaving Congress in the second position in the poll race in early trends. According to the counting trends as at 9.55 a.m., the Aam Aadmi Party is leading at 84 and Congress at 18 seats out of 117 seats. Akalis are leading at 8 and the BJP and allies at 3 seats. Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu is also trailing at the third spot in Amritsar East. Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is trailing from home-turf Patiala. He is contesting against Aam Aadmi Party's Ajit Pal Singh Kohli. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal is also trailing from the Lambi seat in early trends. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/early-trends-bjp-leads-in-up-uttarakhand-manipur-aap-in-punjab-cong-in-goa/articleshow/90116215.cms">Early Trends: BJP leads in UP, Uttarakhand &amp; Manipur; AAP in Punjab; Cong in Goa</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uttarakhand-elections-2022-former-cm-harish-rawat-of-congress-leading-in-lal-kuan-seat/articleshow/90116045.cms">Uttarakhand elections 2022: Former CM Harish Rawat of Congress leading in Lal Kuan seat</a>

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi currently leading in Chamkaur Sahib, trailing in Bhadaur

The BJP is showing an upper hand in Uttar Pradesh with around 38.9 per cent of total vote share as it leads in 48 seats and Samajwadi Party trails in 24 seats, as per the <keyword id="40807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="Orion">Election Commission</keyword> website. The counting of votes was underway, which began at 8 a.m. on Thursday in the crucial five state Assembly polls. Punjab showed 40.3 per cent support for the AAP with lead in 39 seats while Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal were leading in five seats each, BJP and an Independent candidate leading in 1 seat each. In Goa, the BJP had a vote share of 39 per cent with a lead in 7 seats while the Congress trailing with a voter share of 24.6 per cent was leading in 2 seats, as per the EC website. In Manipur, early trends showed 59.9 per cent of votes for the BJP with lead in 3 seats while Congress is just behind with 29.1 per cent and leading in 1 seat. Uttarakhand showed a 44 per cent vote share for the BJP with lead in nine seats vote share while Congress is behind with 43 per cent vote share with lead in five states. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hul-future-retail-dr-reddys-bharti-airtel-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-march-10/slidelist/90114443.cms">HUL, Future Retail, Dr Reddy’s, Bharti Airtel among stocks to watch out for on March 10</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/early-trends-bjp-leads-in-up-uttarakhand-manipur-aap-in-punjab-cong-in-goa/articleshow/90116215.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Early Trends: BJP leads in UP, Uttarakhand &amp; Manipur; AAP in Punjab; Cong in Goa</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uttarakhand-elections-2022-former-cm-harish-rawat-of-congress-leading-in-lal-kuan-seat/articleshow/90116045.cms">Uttarakhand elections 2022: Former CM Harish Rawat of Congress leading in Lal Kuan seat</a>

38.9% vote share for BJP in UP, 40.3% for AAP in Punjab: Election Commission

Chandigarh, March 16 (IANS) Days after facing humiliating defeat in <keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), state Congress chief <keyword id="6356997" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navjot-singh-sidhu" source="Orion">Navjot Singh Sidhu</keyword> on Wednesday resigned from the post. In a one-line resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi, <keyword id="6368691" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="sidhu" source="Orion">Sidhu</keyword> wrote, "I hereby resign as President (PPCC)." The AAP came to power by sweeping the Assembly polls with a three-fourths majority as heavyweights fall by wayside. A day earlier, Sonia Gandhi asked party chiefs Sidhu in Punjab, Ganesh Godiyal in Uttarakhand, Ajay Kumar Lallu in Uttar Pradesh, Girish Chodankar in Goa and Nameirakpam Loken Singh in Manipur to resign. Sidhu, once a Chief Minister aspirant, faced defeat from his stronghold <keyword id="11917951" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="amritsar" source="Orion">Amritsar</keyword> (East) seat. He was locked in a high-profile contest with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia but faced defeat from the hands of AAP greenhorn candidate Jeevanjyot Kaur, who defeated him by a margin of 6,750 votes. Low-profile hygiene activist Kaur, who believed in door-to-door connect with electorate, emerged as the 'giant slayer' by showing the door to two political heavyweights -- Sidhu and Majithia, who were busy in mudslinging against each other. In 2017, cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu not only defeated his <keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword> rival Rajesh Honey with a big margin of over 42,000 votes but also played a role of a game-changer for the party by winning 10 out of 11 seats in Amritsar district, once the citadel of the SAD-BJP combine. Sidhu is a three-time Amritsar MP from the BJP. In 2014 he "sacrificed" this seat for his 'guru' Arun Jaitley. Later he was adjusted in the Rajya Sabha by the BJP but not finding a bigger role in Punjab, he quit the party and resigned from Parliament. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/india-logs-2876-new-covid-19-infections-and-98-fatalities-in-last-24-hours/articleshow/90252569.cms">India logs 2,876 new COVID-19 infections and 98 fatalities in last 24 hours</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isro-to-chalk-out-plans-to-increase-number-of-launches-satellite-manufacturing/articleshow/90255221.cms">ISRO to chalk out plans to increase number of launches, satellite manufacturing</a>

Punjab Congress chief Sidhu quits with a one-line resignation

As the counting of the votes began on Thursday morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party was seen leading in the early trends in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur while the <keyword id="6354944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party" source="Orion">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> made an early headway in Punjab. As per the early trends in Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats while Samajwadi Party was ahead on 97. The <keyword id="6356515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bahujan-Samaj-Party" source="Orion">Bahujan Samaj Party</keyword> didn't seem to woo the voters, as it was leading on only 6 seats. The Congress party continued to show its dismal performance and was leading on only 4 seats. The Assembly polls for 403 seats spread over 75 districts were held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. More than 3.75 lakh voters exercised their franchise using ballot papers. The state's Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that 84 counting centres had been set up across Uttar Pradesh. In Goa, the <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> had tipped a keen contest between the ruling <keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword> and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance, with neither being able to reach the magic figure of 21 in a 40-member state Assembly. However, the trends showed the grand-old party -- Congress -- ahead of its arch-rival BJP while the much-hyped AAP, as per the early trends, didn't seem to impress the electorate at all as it was not leading on any seat. Nearly 79 per cent voters cast ballots in the February 14 polls in Goa. In Punjab, the multi-cornered electoral battle is probably heading for a comfortable victory for the AAP as the early trends gave an edge to the Bhagwant Mann-led party over the ruling Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal was coming as the third party. The exit polls had predicted a landslide victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. The state recorded a voter turnout of 71.95 per cent, the lowest percentage compared to the voting percentage in three previous Assembly polls. In Manipur, as per the early trends, the saffron party is heading for a landslide victory. According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5. This year's voting percentage was higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively. In Uttarakhand, even as the BJP is leading in the early trends, it is still hard to predict the results as the Congress party is not much behind. The new-entrant AAP, like Goa, has failed to make any impact on the voters so far. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uttarakhand-elections-2022-former-cm-harish-rawat-of-congress-leading-in-lal-kuan-seat/articleshow/90116045.cms">Uttarakhand elections 2022: Former CM Harish Rawat of Congress leading in Lal Kuan seat</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/58-percent-of-women-employees-in-india-quit-their-jobs-to-take-on-more-family-responsibilities-in-the-last-two-years/slidelist/90102390.cms">58 percent of women employees in India quit their jobs due to more family responsibilities in last two years</a>

Early Trends: BJP leads in UP, Uttarakhand & Manipur; AAP in Punjab; Cong in Goa

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s <keyword id="101521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhagwant-mann" source="Orion">Bhagwant Mann</keyword>, who on Thursday won the Dhuri seat with a margin of 58,206 votes, is set to become Punjab's next chief minister. AAP is heading to a landslide win in the 117-member legislative Assembly by leading at over 90 seats. In his first public address in his home town Sangrur after winning the seat and seeing the meteoric rise of the party, Mann promised to fix unemployment as his first task in office. "No government office in the state will have the photo of the Punjab CM, but will carry a portrait of B.R. Ambedkar." Mann said he will take oath as the Chief Minister in Bhagat Singh's ancestral village Khatkar Kalan and not in Raj Bhawan. "We will ensure that the youth do not have to go abroad... Within a month, you will observe changes," he added. Taking a dig at the opposition leaders, he said, "The elder Badal has lost...Captain (Amarinder Singh) Sahab has also lost. Majithia is also losing. Channi has also lost from both seats." The AAP is leading in 91 of 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) website at 1.10 p.m. The Congress was leading in 17 seats so far. For the AAP that was banking on 'Hun ek mauka Kejriwal nu (now one chance to Kejriwal)' -- arguably one of the biggest advertisement blitz campaigns -- two-time MP, Mann, took the lead as the chief minister's face. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the AAP had made inroads among Jat Sikhs by emerging as the second largest party with 20 seats, 18 of them in the Malwa region. However, it failed to make a mark in Majha and Doaba regions. Mann held his fort despite Modi wave across the country in 2019 by retaining the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat for the second time in a row. "The fight is not to save some political families but to save Punjab, the farmers, the agriculture, the industry and the youth. Owing to lack of employment and better education infrastructure, our youth is moving abroad," was the common talk of Mann in his folksy style in his elections campaigns. Formerly a popular comedian-actor, Mann, known for his trademark 'basanti' turban, a colour associated with Shaheed Bhagat Singh, has had his fair share of controversies in recent years, especially linked to his drinking habit. In these polls, AAP's vote share is estimated to be close to 42.45 per cent compared to 22.9 per cent of the Congress and 17.9 per cent of the SAD. The meteoric rise of AAP in the 2014 Parliamentary polls and then in the 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab followed by its nosedive owing to 'mass exodus' of its legislators proved a litmus test for the party in the 2022 Assembly polls in the state. Political observers say AAP was seen as the alternative to the traditional parties that had dominated Punjab's electoral space for decades. Learning a harsh lesson from its mistake during the 2017 Assembly polls of not declaring a chief ministerial candidate, this time AAP's CM face Bhagwant Mann was locked in a multi-cornered contest with Congress' 'Aam Aadmi' Charanjit Singh Channi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal, Capt Amarinder Singh, whose new party Punjab Lok Congress is in alliance with the BJP and the Samyukt Samaj Morcha, the fledgling coalition of farm unions. Channi, Sukhbir Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh faced humiliating defeat from their respective seats. In 2017, AAP sought vote in the name of Arvind Kejriwal, and despite him being tagged an outsider, it managed to win 20 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, emerging as the principal opposition party, pushing SAD to the number three position. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hul-future-retail-dr-reddys-bharti-airtel-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-march-10/slidelist/90114443.cms">HUL, Future Retail, Dr Reddy’s, Bharti Airtel among stocks to watch out for on March 10</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/early-trends-bjp-leads-in-up-uttarakhand-manipur-aap-in-punjab-cong-in-goa/articleshow/90116215.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Early Trends: BJP leads in UP, Uttarakhand &amp; Manipur; AAP in Punjab; Cong in Goa</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uttarakhand-elections-2022-former-cm-harish-rawat-of-congress-leading-in-lal-kuan-seat/articleshow/90116045.cms">Uttarakhand elections 2022: Former CM Harish Rawat of Congress leading in Lal Kuan seat</a>

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