Uttarakhand election results: BJP rides PM Modi wave, scores massive victory in state

The BJP on Saturday scored a massive victory in Uttarakhand while grabbing 56 of the 70 seats in the state. Further, it also reduced Congress to a minuscule minority in the state Assembly with a poor tally of 11 seats.

 Two seats went to Independents while counting in one seatis still underway. It is for the first time in the 16-year history ofUttarakhand that a party has emerged with an impressive tally like this.

 BJP leaders attributed the vicotry to the Narendra Modi wave and a strong anti-incumbency against Harish Rawat who lost both the seats he contested. "While a strong Modi wave worked in our favour, there wasa palpable anti-incumbency factor in the wake of corruptiontouching a new low under Harish Rawat," Pradesh BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan who himself came out with flying colours from Vikasnagar in Dehradun told PTI.

Also Read: As it happened | Uttarakhand Election Results 2017: BJP wins 57 seats; Harish Rawat accepts defeat of Congress

Congress suffered a double whammy as Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay also lost in Sahaspur. However, BJP also had its share of sad tiding as Pradesh party president Ajay Bhatt lost in Ranikhet - a defeat party leaders attributed to a party rbel who was denied a ticket and had entered the fray as an independent.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi congratulates PM Modi for BJP victory in UP and Uttarakhand, thanks Punjab for Congress win

 The victory margin between Congress and BJP this time is massive as they were neck and neck in the previous assembly polls with BJP winning only one seat less than Congress which formedgovernment with the help of six-member PDF. 

Also Read: Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari dubs party’s success in UP, U’Khand as victory of nationalism and PM Modi

FULL ELECTION COVERAGE AND RESULTS UPDATE