Early trend: BJP leads on 9 assembly seats, Congress with 4 in Manipur polls

Imphal (Manipur) [India], March 10 (ANI): With counting of votes in the recently held Assembly election in Manipur underway Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in nine assembly seats followed by Congress with four seats and Janata Dal (United) with three seats according to early trends by the Election Commission.
Parties namely Kuki People's Alliance, Naga Peoples Front, National People's Party, Republican Party of India (Athawale) are leading on one seat each at 10:15 am today.
Further, BJP is leading in terms of vote share thereby standing at 45.05 per cent followed by Congress with a 20.66 per cent vote share.
The polls were held in two phases and the state witnessed a record 89.3 per cent voter turnout.
Earlier today, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh offered prayers for the future of the state and its development.
"I have prayed to God, that the coming five years would be tantamount to the last 5 years with peace and development and that BJP forms government with full majority," Manipur CM N Biren Singh said to reporters today.
As of now, CM N Biren Singh is leading in Heingang seat. Further, the early trend in Manipur shows BJP leading in 2 constituencies - Heirok and Thangmeiband.
Riding on their poll plank of development and improved connectivity in the state in the last five years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will try to retain power in Manipur while the Congress-led alliance is seeking to wrest the state from the BJP and is hoping for a favourable verdict.
Earlier, the exit polls in Manipur gave a clear edge to the ruling BJP followed by Congress, a distant second. Elections for the 60-member Manipur Assembly took place in two phases on February 28 and March 5.
In 2017, the BJP had formed the government in Manipur with the support of the National People's Party (NPP), Naga People's Front (NPF) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) but this time, it decided to go solo and is contesting on all the 60 seats.
On the other hand, Congress had formed an alliance of six political parties and named it Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance (MPSA). The coalition partners in MPSA include Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Janata Dal (Secular). (ANI)