SRINAGAR/RANCHI: Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday appeared headed for a hung assembly with BJP making gains in Jammu region while the party is all set to form government in Jharkhand, the trends coming from both the states in assembly elections show.
The PDP, headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the BJP were leading in 25 seats each. The ruling National Conference was ahead in 16 seats and the Congress in 14 in 87 of the 87 seats for which the trends were available.
JKPC led by Sajjad Lone was ahead in two seats while JKPDF and CPI-M were leading in one seat each while Independents were leading in three seats.
The BJP's spectacular performance, the best in the state so far, was however limited to the Jammu region where 37 seats are up for grabs. The party has not bee able to make any dent in the Valley which has 46 seats in all.
Going by the trends, unless any two of the four major parties--BJP, PDP, NC and Congress--come together government formation would not be possible.
In the last elections, National Conference had won 28, PDP 21, Congress 17 and BJP 11.
In Jharkhand, the BJP was well on the road to forming a government of its own by leading in 38 seats including four of ally AJSU in the 81 member assembly. Ruling JMM is leading in 20 constituencies, Congress 4, JVM (P) 8, RJD 5 and others 5, the trends show.
In the last elections in Jharkhand in 2009, BJP had won 18 seats, JMM 18, Congress 14, JVM-P 11, AJSU 5, RJD 5, JDU 2 and others including independents 8.
The current trends show that BJP could have maximum number of MLAs in assembly after the formation of state in 2000 when it had 33 legislatures with Babu Lal Marandi as its Chief Minister.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was ahead by a slender margin in Beerwah constituency but trailing by over 1,800 votes in Sonawar seat.
PDP chief ministerial candidate Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was leading from Anantnag seat by 1,177 votes over Congress candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah.
Separatist turned mainstream politician Sajjad Gani Lone was doing well in Handwara seat while independents were ahead in four seats.
Deputy Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Chhamb Tara Chand was trailing Krishan Lal of BJP by a margin of 4,797 votes.
In Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was leading by 2735 votes in Barhait seat but is trailing by 3433 votes in Dumka.
Madhu Koda, former chief minister who has been charge sheeted by CBI in the coal blocks allocation scam, is trailing by 10,082 votes behind Niral Purty of JMM at Majhgaon.
Koda's wife Geeta is, however, leading by 682 votes at Jagannathpur over her nearest JMM rival Mangal Singh Bobonga of JMM.
Congress seems to be losing badly in the tribal dominated state with tally likely to plummet to four from the 14 it had won in 2009 elections. In Jammu and Kashmir also, the grand old party appeared suffering marginal loss of four seats from its tally of 17 seats in the last elections.