CHHATTISGARH ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS 2018 | CONGRESS SET FOR LANDSLIDE WIN; CM RAMAN SINGH TRAILING

In a massive mandate, the Congress has marched past the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Chhattishgarh Assembly Elections 2018. Initial trends showed the two juggernauts in a close encounter, as chief minister Raman Singh eyes a third consecutive term in office.

The election is a prestige battle for Singh of the BJP and the opposition Congress' fight for resurgence. While several exit polls predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the big two, the results have tipped in favour of the Rahul Gandhi-led party.

The 'Grand Old Party' is aiming to stage a comeback after being out of power for the last 15 years. Chief Minister Raman Singh is trailing in Rajnandgaon against former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece Karuna Shukla.

With trends indicating a win for the Congress in Chhattisgarh, former chief minister Ajit Jogi said on Tuesday that he was "happy" with the "results" and that people chose the party because they found it the most viable alternative to the BJP.

Here are the trends in the state as of 12:21 PM

BJP: 18
Congress: 66
Others: 6

*This is a developing story*