Congress 3rd in J&K elections, but Trichy unit celebrates with Kashmiri apples | WATCH

Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu): Trichy Congress president L Rex distributed Kashmiri apples and set off firecrackers to celebrate the positive trends in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, even as Congress is currently in third place. Accompanied by supporters, Rex walked through the streets, handing out apples and igniting firecrackers while proudly waving Congress flags. They even shared apples with passengers on buses during the celebration on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the National Conference-Congress alliance is set to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, with Tuesday's polling trends indicating that the coalition is leading in 51 out of 90 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 28. Both the National Conference and BJP have secured two seats each so far. According to the Election Commission's updates, the PDP is leading in two seats, the Peoples Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone is ahead in two seats, and independents are leading in six.

The National Conference is in the lead for 43 seats, with its ally Congress ahead in seven. Omar Abdullah, the party's vice president, emphasised that the people's mandate in Jammu and Kashmir should not be tampered with. In the Budgam assembly segment, Abdullah is leading by over 8,500 votes after seven rounds of counting, while he holds a lead of more than 5,000 votes in Ganderbal after six rounds.

National Conference leader Nazir Ahmad Khan won the Gurez assembly seat for the fourth consecutive time, defeating BJP's Faqeer Mohammad Khan by 1,132 votes. BJP's Darshan Kumar beat Congress leader Choudhary Lal Singh in the Basholi constituency of Kathua district, while NC youth president Salman Sagar claimed victory in the Hazratbal assembly seat, defeating PDP leader Asiea Naqash by over 10,000 votes.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, is trailing by nearly 3,800 votes to NC leader Bashir Ahmad Veeri in the Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat and stated she accepts "the verdict of the people."

Vote counting commenced at 8: 00 am across 28 counting centres for the 90 Jammu and Kashmir assembly seats, which were contested in three phases.