Manipur Election Results 2017: Manipur headed for a hung assembly?

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Manipur saw record voter turnout despite unrest and blockade and the Manipur Election results will be announced on Saturday. After polling in two phases, the northeastern state hopes for a stable government. Out of the 60 assembly constituencies, a party has to win 31 seats to form the government in Manipur. In 2012, the Congress led by Okram Ibobi Singh registered a huge victory by winning 42 seats. The AITC stood a distant second with a mere 7 seats. In the last five years, the BJP has managed to make inroads in the Manipur.

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Many exit polls have predicted that the Congress may, after all, retain Manipur but the fight is going to be a tough one with the BJP's entry. Much expected Irom Sharmila's PRJA is projected to get not more than 5 seats by most Exit polls.

Catch all the updates for the Manipur assembly election results 2017 right here:

[Exit Poll 2017 at a glance]

5.40 pm: The Congress has won 24 seats and the BJP won 20 seats so far

4.50 pm: The Congress has won 21 seats and the BJP secured 18 seats

4.20 pm: Congress wins 19 seats and BJP 18

3.45 pm: BJP has 17 and Congress has won 16 seats

3.45 pm: The Naga People's Front and the National People's Party have won three seats each

2.00 pm: BJP wins 13, Congress 13, NPF- 3, Others 3

1.55 pm: Congress wins 12, BJP 10 and Others 2 seats

1.09 pm: BJP wins 8, Cong 10, NPF-3, Others 4

12.45 pm: Manipur leads: Congress--17, BJP--17 and Others--9

12.45 pm: BJP's Nemcha Kipgen wins Kangpokpi constituency

12:20 pm: Till now, Congress has won five seats in Manipur. Reports say Congress' Konthoujam Govindas won Bishnupur seat.

12.05 pm: Manipur leads: Congress--14, BJP--14, Others--10

11.20 am: Manipur leads: Congress--13, BJP--11, Others--12

11.15 am: Manipur trends: Congress has won 1 and is leading in 13, BJP has won 1 and is leading in 11.

10.40am: Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh has won from Thoubal seat: ANI

10.10 am: Irom Sharmila lost election to Ibobi Singh

9.40 am: Manipur leads: BJP 8, Congress 8, Others 4

9:25 am: BJP's performance will be historic in Manipur : Ram Madhav

9: 20 am: Leads in Manipur: BJP 7, Congress 6 and Others 2

09:10 am: Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam leading

9:03 am: Iron Lady Irom Sharmila trails

8.55 am: Elections in the state were held in two phases on March 4 and 8. Both phases witnessed record voting of 84 and 89 per cent respectively. Chief Electoral Officer V K Dewangan said despite logistical difficulties due to the ongoing economic blockade elections were completed smoothly.

8: 35 am:Congress 2, BJP 1, Others 1

8.50 am: Manipur has been put under tight security blanket and prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed near all counting halls, officials said.

8:39 am: Okram Ibobi Singh leading from Thoubal

8.35 am: Manipur to elect a new government under the shadow of economic blockade. On Saturday, when the counting for the assembly elections is underway, Manipur entered the 130th day of the economic blockade. Since November 1, the United Naga Council-- an umbrella organisation of Naga civil society organisations-- has imposed a blockade on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam) highways that serve as lifelines for the landlocked Manipur.

8:35 am: Congress 1

Others 1

8:24 am: Counting of votes for 60-member Assembly underway at 11 centres in Manipur.

8.20 am: Visuals from Imphal: Counting of votes for 60-member Assembly underway at eleven centres in Manipur. #ElectionResults: ANI

7.55 am: Will Modi wave sweep Manipur? In 2012 assembly elections in Manipur, the BJP was nowhere. Within five years, the party has become the biggest threat for the Congress. Moreover, chief minister Ibobi Singh faces the threat of anti-incumbency. The Congress has ruled the state for 15 years. Will Manipur go the Assam way to elect the BJP to rule the hill state? Or, as Singh says, Manipur is not Assam?

7.30 am: Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Ram Madhav says Northeast region is in the grip of BJP wave, the saffron party will form government in Manipur.

7.20 am: Debutant and founder of the Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance Irom Sharmila said that if she gets defeated in assembly elections then she would try again in the 2019 general elections. The Iron Lady of Manipur added that everybody knows muscle and money power are openly used during elections and these things need to be changed in order to bring change in society.

These are the chief ministerial candidates in Manipur:

BJP is pitted against three-time Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, and his loss would be a huge blow to the Congress. A day before the results, Ibobi told ANI that he was confident Congress would win 42 of the 60-member assembly.

Yumkham Erabot Singh

A six-time MLA from the Congress, Singh has been seen as the arch-critic of the chief minister, and a person with strong political will.

Ksh Bhabananda Singh is the president of the BJP state chapter. Even though he has not contested an election, he could appear as the chief ministerial candidate for the BJP.

All eyes are on rights activist Irom Sharmila from the Thoubal constituencywhere she is pitted against the chief minister.