BJP Celebrates, Rahul Smiles Too: Counting Day in Pictures

BJP President Amit Shah shows a victory sign on his arrival at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

(Photo: AP)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party have fought a long, tiring battle campaigning to win the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

The high-stakes Gujarat Assembly polls, considered a battle for prestige for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state, was a litmus test for newly-inducted Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

While the BJP has won both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Congress is celebrating too and Rahul Gandhi has congratulated his party for closing in the margin with the final numbers being 99/80. Follow The Quint’s live blog bringing you realtime updates.

In the meantime, here’s a look at how the counting day has played out so far.

Of Flowers and Victory Signs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Parliament, flashing the victory sign.(Photo: AP)

BJP President Amit Shah shows a victory sign on his arrival at the party headquarters in New Delhi.(Photo: AP)

While BJP Celebrates, Rahul Still Smiles

Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrives for the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi.(Photo: PTI)

‘Cracker’-ling Celebrations

Party workers and supporters celebrating BJP’s success in the Gujarat and Himachal Assembly elections, outside the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.(Photo: PTI)

Supporters of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate their party’s victory in Gujarat state assembly elections in Gandhinagar.(Photo: AP)

Celebrations Even Before Final Verdict

While counting was still underway, the BJP had already started celebrating its lead in the elections. Poll trends suggest the saffron party is headed for victory in both Gujarat and Himachal.

Supporters of the Congress celebrate outside a counting centre in Ahmedabad.(Photo: AP)

Supporters of the BJP celebrate after their candidate’s victory outside a poll counting center in Dharmsala, Himachal Pradesh.(Photo: AP)

Counting Votes One at a Time

Election officials count votes received by post at a poll counting center in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.(Photo: AP)

Election Commission officials monitor counting centres through 1,251 CCTV cameras installed in 37 centres.(Photo: Twitter/Avinash Nair)

It's a Ballot Game

Counting of votes in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat began at 8am on Monday.

Cases containing electronic voting machines sit in a strong room before the beginning of vote counting at a poll counting center in Dharmsala.(Photo: AP)

Election officials, in white caps, wait to transport electronic voting machines at a poll counting center in Dharmsala, Himachal Pradesh.(Photo: AP)

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