PTI 

Chennai, May 11 (Thursday, 9-30 am): The DMK-alliance took an initial lead in 12 of the 22 Tamil Nadu assembly seats, according to initial trends available.

The ruling AIADMK, with its supporting parties, was ahead in eight assembly segments while the others led in a similar number of seats.

The counting of votes will decide the fate of 2,586 candidates, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and DMK president M Karunanidhi contesting the Assembly elections here.

In the first result to be declared in the Assembly elections, the DMK candidate, K Pitchandi, from Thiruvannamalai was declared elected by a margin of 10,100 votes.

The DMK is leading in three of the 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly at 8.15 am, for which initial trends were available within minutes of counting began.

The DMK was also stated to be leading in the Uppiliapuram constituency.

In Kerala, the ruling United Democratic Front and Opposition LDF were leading in two each of the 140 seats in Kerala Assembly in the initial trends after counting began.

LDF convener Paloli Muhammadkutty is leading by 116 votes over his DIC-K rival M P Gangadharan in Ponnani, as counting for the 140 Assembly constituencies began in Kerala. UDF candidate K Babu (INC) is leading by 60 votes over his CPI-M rival K N Raveendranath in Thrippunithura.
 
Counting of votes for the 293 seats in the West Bengal Assembly began amid a three-tier security arrangement. The counting was taken up at 8:00 am in 97 centres, comprising 450 counting halls across the state.

Reports form Guwahati said that the counting of ballots for the Assam assembly election began on schedule at 8 am. today amidst tight security across the state to reveal the electoral fate of 997 contestants.

The 19,723 EVMs used in Assam, were brought out from the heavily guarded strong rooms where they were kept for the last one month

Counting of votes began at 8 am in the states that went to the polls - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, besides Pondicherry.