The alliance between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party has inched ahead of the incumbent Naga People’s Front and its ally, after it seemed that the Assembly elections may turn out to be too close to call. The NDPP-BJP alliance won 26 seats and the NPF won 27, according to the Election Commission. Its ally, the National People’s Party won two seats.

The NDPP is in alliance with the, which ended its 15-year-old alliance with the ruling Naga People’s Front after three chief ministers were elected in the five years of a dysfunctional government. The NPF was bogged down by anti-incumbency, infighting and the exit of former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and former Home Minister Y Patton.

9.30 pm: The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party wins 15 seats and its ally BJP wins 11. The Naga People’s Front wins 27 seats. The NDPP leads in one constituency.

8.45 pm: The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party wins 15 seats. The Naga People’s Front and BJP tally stand at 25 and 10. The BJP-NDPP alliance leads in two constituencies and the NPF-National People’s Party alliance lead in three.

8.40 pm: The Naga People’s Front wins 25 seats. The BJP raises its tally to 10, and its ally, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, wins 14 seats. Both the BJP-NDPP alliance and the NPF-National People’s Party alliance lead in three constituencies.

8.25 pm: The Janata Dal (United) Nagaland has decided to support the BJP in Nagaland.

8.12 pm: The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party increases its tally to 14 seats. Its alliance with the BJP leads in four constituencies, while the NPF-National People’s Party alliance is ahead in four.

8.10 pm: Independent candidate Tongpang Ozukum, who won the Angetyongpang seat, submits his letter of support to the BJP in Kohima.

6.55 pm: The Naga People’s Front wins 24 seats, and leads in three, the BJP wins nine and leads in two. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party wins 11 seats and leads in five. The BJP-NDPP alliance leads in seven constituencies and the NPF-National People’s Party alliance in four.

6.41 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “The North East has today come forward to lead India on the path to development.” He is addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

5.45 pm: BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav says the NDPP-BJP “has secured 30 seats” and will form the government “comfortably” with the support of one independent candidate. However, official data shows that the alliance has 15 seats so far and a lead in 13.

5.25 pm: Naga People’s Front wins 18 seats, the BJP nine and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, six. The BJP-NDPP alliance leads in 13 constituencies and the NPF-National People’s Party alliance in nine.

5.22 pm: Nagaland Assembly Speaker Dr Imtiwapang Aier retains his Impur seat by only 62 votes.

5.20 pm: Congress Spokesperson Alok Sharma blames CP Joshi, in-charge of the party in Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya, for the Congress’ performance in the elections. He questions why Congress MLAs, workers and leaders had defected from the Congress in Nagaland, reports News 18.

4.50 pm: Naga People’s Front wins 14 seats, the BJP seven and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, six. Both the BJP-NDPP alliance and the NPF-National People’s Party alliance lead in 14 seats.

4.44 pm: Awan Konyak of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party loses the Aboi seat to the Naga People’s Front’s Eshak Konyak by 905 votes.

Awan Konyak had been leading in the constituency most of the day and looked set to become Nagaland’s first female MLA.

4.25 pm: “Earlier, the BJP was known as a Hindi region’s party, but we are now spread across India,” says Amit Shah at a press conference.

4.20 pm: BJP National President Amit Shah says the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Act East” policy was evident in the results of the North East elections. “The BJP might have a clear majority in Tripura, but we will also include other members of our alliance in the Cabinet,” he says. “We will march towards Karnataka with this massive victory.”

4.15 pm: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju says the BJP will come to an “understanding” with the Naga People’s Front if its alliance with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party does not reach the halfway mark in the Assembly, reports IANS.

Ahead of the Nagaland Assembly elections on February 27, the BJP had ended its 15-year-old alliance with the Naga People’s Front and allied with the NDPP. In the past five years, the Nagaland government under the BJP’s alliance with the NPF remained tumultuous and had three chief ministers.

4.05 pm: Election Commission declares BJP the winner in seven seats, NDPP in three seats and Naga People’s Front in 12 seats. It shows the BJP-NDPP alliance leading in 18 seats and the NPF-Naga People’s Party alliance leading in 14.

Source: Election Commission

3.45 pm: The Election Commission declares Naga People’s Front the winner in 11 seats and the BJP and NDPP in three seats each. The incumbent party and its ally, the National’s People’s Party lead in 14 seats, while the NDPP-BJP alliance are ahead in 20 seats, according to the poll panel. However, NDTV reports that the NDDP-BJP alliance leads in 31 seats and the NPF-NPP alliance in 25 seats.

3.40 pm: KL Chishi, the former Nagaland Chief Minister, has lost from Atoizu, reports News18.

3.25 pm: Incumbent Chief Minister TR Zeliang has been declared the winner in Peren.

2.10 pm: The NDPP-BJP alliance leads in 21 seats. The Naga People’s Front wins four seats and leads in 20, according to the Election Commission.

Source: Election Commission

2.07 pm: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju projects Neiphiu Rio as the NDPP-BJP alliance’s candidate for chief minister.

1.20 pm: Jacob Zhimomi, the former Independent legislator who joined the BJP in January, is trailing Independent candidate Z. Kasheto Yeptho by 377 votes.

1.15 pm: Chief Minister TR Zeliang has now established a lead of 5,432 votes in Peren over Iherie Ndang of the NDPP.

12.55 pm: The Janata Dal (United) is in the lead in three seats – G. Kaito Aye in Satakha, T Yanseo Sangtam in Pungro Kiphire and L Temjen Jamir in Tuli.

12.10 pm: The NDPP-BJP alliance is now leading in 32 seats while the ruling Naga People’s Front and its ally National People’s Party have 24 seats, reports NDTV.

12 pm: The former Nagaland Chief Minister, KL Chishi, is now in the lead in Atoizu.

11.45 am: The NDPP-BJP alliance is now slowly pulling ahead with a lead in 32 seats, while the ruling NPF and its ally NPP are in the lead in 24, reports NDTV.

11.40 am: Chief Minister TR Zeliang is leading the NDPP’s candidate, Iherie Ndang, in Peren, say reports. The Election Commission had ordered re-polling in one a booth in the constituency.

11.15 am: The NPF and the NPP now have the lead in 29 seats while the NDPP-BJP alliance are ahead in the 30 seats, reports NDTV. The ruling party is leading in 26 seats. says News 18.

10.55 am: Awan Konyak of the NDPP is leading in Aboi in Mon district, say reports. She has a 1,000-vote lead, and if she wins she will create history by becoming the state’s first woman MLA.

10.40 am: The NDPP and BJP alliance, which is now trailing, may have been heavily dependent on the charisma of former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who left the Naga People’s Front and joined the NDPP in January. The BJP’s Hindutva baggage may have affected its performance as well. The Naga Baptist Church Council, which has considerable influence over the state’s political life, had warned voters against voting for parties with a “communal agenda”.

10.35 am: BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav expresses happiness about the NDPP and BJP alliance’s performance in the state.

10.25 am: Former Home Minister Y Patton, who joined the BJP in January, is leading in Tyui. “I got elected with BJP in 2008, with Congress in 1998, in 2013 with NPF [Naga People’s Front],” Patton, who is a prominent member of the Lotha tribe, had told Scroll.in.

10.16 am: N Jacob Zhimomi, a former independent legislator who joined the party along with KL Chishi, is in the lead in Ghaspani 1.

10.15 am: The former Nagaland Chief Minister, KL Chishi, who joined the BJP in January, is trailing to the NPF’s candidate Picto in Atoizu in Zunheboto district, reports News 18. Chishi is one of the richest candidates to contest these elections.

9.45 am: The ruling party and its allies have the lead in 29 seats, reports News 18, while the NDPP and the BJP alliance are in 23 constituencies.

9.40 am: The NPF may be slowly turning it around in Nagaland after a slow start, reports NDTV. The ruling party has the lead in 28 seats while its National People’s Party has the lead in four seats.

9.11 am: The NPF is now leading in 12 seats, while the NDPP and BJP alliance has extended its lead in 19 seats, reports NDTV.

9.05 am: The NDPP and BJP alliance is now leading in all nine seats for which early trends are available. The BJP has the lead in three seats – Ghaspani 1 (N Jacob Zhimomi), Wokha Town (T Myingthungo Lotha) and Dimpaur 1 (H Tovihoto Ayemi).

8.45 am: The NDPP is leading in six seats while the incumbent NPF has lead in one, reports NDTV.

8.40 am: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang and Naga People’s Front President Shurhozelie Liezietsu met Governor PB Acharya on Friday, and submitted a letter on a pre-election agreement with the Janata Dal (United) and Nationalist People’s Party, The Economic Times reports.

8.15 am: Curfews have been imposed in the districts of Wokha and Zunheboto, The Morung Express reports as district authorities are apprehensive of violence breaking out. The prohibitory order in Wokha will be in effect till March 7.

8.05 am: The counting of votes has begun.

8 am: A cautious Chief Minister TR Zeliang tells The Indian Express that his party, the Naga People’s Front, will win a “minimum 27” seats. The NPF will form the next government with the support of the National People’s Party and the Janata Dal (United), he says.

7.40 am: Here is a quick recap of the politics in the state, along with the top contenders and main electoral issues.

7.30 am: Counting will begin at 8 am.

7.25 am: Here is a look at seats that parties have won in Assembly elections since 1963.