New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS): An hour after the counting of votes began for the Assembly elections, the BJP is leading in both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, as per the latest trends.

In Gujarat around 9.44 a.m., the official Election Commission website showed that the BJP was leading on 98 Assembly seats while the Congress was leading in 17 constituencies and the AAP was leading on 10 seats.

The counting began in Gujarat across 37 centres amid tight security at 8 a.m. In the 2017 general elections in Gujarat, 2,94,64,326 votes were polled with a voter turnout of 68.39 per cent. Of this BJP had polled 1,47,24,031 with a vote share of 49.05 per cent and had won 99 seats. The Congress had polled 1,24,37,661 votes with a vote share of 41.44 per cent and 77 seats.

Early trends clearly show that the AAP on a large-scale is denting the Congress votes. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi were leading and Congress' senior leader Arjun Modhwadia was also leading.

In Himachal Pradesh, it is a close fight between the BJP and Congress. As per the latest trends, the BJP was leading in 31 Assembly constituencies while the Congress was leading on 23 seats. Independents were leading on three seats.

The Himachal Pradesh high-stake election was held on November 12, sealing the electoral fate of 412 candidates, including 24 women. A 75.60 per cent voter turnout was recorded, breaking the 2017 record of 75.57 per cent.

The counting of votes began at 8 a.m. at 68 centres in 59 locations in Himachal Pradesh.

The results will decide the political fate of BJP leader and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his 10 ministerial colleagues, besides Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former state Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu.