Ranchi, Dec 23 (IANS) The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was ahead in 19 seats Wednesday while the Congress was leading in 12 constituencies as early trends of vote counting in Jharkhand indicated a hung assembly.
Counting of votes polled in the five-phased Jharkhand assembly elections began Wednesday morning amid heavy security. Trends available for 47 seats indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ahead of the Congress.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was leading in eight seats and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in six.

Jailed ex-minister Enos Ekka was trailing in the assembly seats of Kolibera and Simdega he contested from. Two other jailed former ministers, Kamlesh Singh and Harinarayan Rai, were, however, leading from Hussainabad and Jarmundi constituencies respectively.

There are about 30,000 security forces and 5,200 officials at the 31 counting centres in the state.

The staggered polls to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly were held between Nov 25 and Dec 18. A total of 1,511 candidates were in the fray and a 58 percent voter turnout was recorded.

The vote count is finally expected to end president’s rule in the state. President’s rule was imposed Jan 19 after then chief minister Shibu Soren lost the Tamar assembly by-election.

Major political parties are claiming that they are sure to get the majority required to form the next government.

The two major alliances for whom the stakes are high are the NDA and the Congress-Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) combine.