UPDATE 3 - India's ruling party wins 3 of 4 states in key regional polls

UPDATES WITH RULING BJP WIN IN 3 STATES; REVISES HEAD, DECK, LEDE

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) — India's ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) won three out of four states in key regional elections, according to election commission results on Sunday night.

The win is expected to come as a boost to the party ahead of general elections next year.

Online statistics by the Indian Election Commission reveal that the BJP scored big wins in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, while the opposition Indian National Congress party won southern Telangana state.

Of 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, currently held by Congress, the BJP bagged 54 seats, while the main opposition party won 35.

In the central state of Madhya Pradesh, the ruling party won 163 of 230 seats, while it got 115 seats out of 199 seats in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan state.

On the other hand, Congress won the southern Telangana state, according to the election commission. Of 119 seats in total, the party won 64, defeating the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi party, which got 39 seats in Sunday's counting.

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of Indian National Congress, said his party "fought a spirited campaign in all these four states."

"We will overcome temporary setbacks and prepare ourselves fully for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections along with the INDIA parties," he said.

INDIA is an acronym for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, which is led by the Congress and includes over two dozen more opposition parties.

Reacting to the results, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the current showing in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan "indicate that the people of India are firmly with politics of good governance and development."

"I thank the people of these states for their unwavering support and assure them that we will keep working tirelessly for their well-being," he said on X.

In a separate message, Modi called Sunday's victories as "historic and unprecedented."

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, along with northeastern Mizoram, went for provincial polls in several phases on Nov. 7-30. Mizoram will count votes on Monday, according to election authorities.