India Assembly poll results out on Wednesday

New Delhi (IANS) The outcome of the just ended assembly elections in five Indian states - a mammoth popularity test involving nearly 100 million voters - will be known tomorrow, with analysts saying it is sure to impact on parliamentary polls next year.

Votes cast by an estimated 66 per cent of the 98 million voters in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh will be counted from 8am tomorrow.

Most results are expected by that afternoon.

The elections in all states barring Mizoram involved straight contests, mainly between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the two major national parties that will vie to take power after the next general election.

While the Congress has ruled Delhi since 1998 and hopes to win a third five-year term, the BJP seems confident of retaining power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh besides capturing the national capital.

The Mizoram fight was between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), formerly an insurgent group, and the Congress.

"These election results are quite important in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections as these states have a sizeable chunk of parliamentary seats," political analyst GVL Narasimha Rao told IANS.

"Whichever party [BJP or Congress] wins the most or a majority of these assemblies will get a momentum for the Lok Sabha elections," he added.

Shadow of attack

Staggered elections in the five states began November 14 in Chhattisgarh and concluded December 4 in Rajasthan, India's largest state. Some people have called it a "semifinal" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Balloting to pick a new legislature in troubled Jammu and Kashmir began November 17 and is still on. It will end December 24 and the vote count will take place four days later.

Barring Chhattisgarh, elections in the other four states took place under the shadow of the audacious terror attack in India's financial capital Mumbai, leaving 172 people dead, including 22 foreigners, and dealing a severe blow to the nation's psyche.