India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has conceded defeat as the opposition Congress party and its allies leads the majority to win Jharkhand state elections, according to Indian media.
Leads showed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress alliance staying way above the majority mark of 41 in the 81-member assembly, reports NDTV.
The Congress currently stands at 46, the BJP is trailing at 25.
The defeat is a setback for the BJP amid the nationwide protest over controversial new citizenship law, according to BBC.
More than 20 people have died in 10 days of clashes sparked by the law, which critics see as anti-Muslim, reports BBC.
Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah said "the party respects the mandate of the people of Jharkhand," reports NDTV.
in Jharkhand, celebrations had started in the alliance camp soon after noon.
Hemant Soren, who as the face of the alliance, is set to take over the top post,
Jharkhand is the second key state the BJP has lost since sweeping parliamentary elections in May.
The party lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to Congress last year.
The party failed to form the government in Maharashtra state last month after falling out with its regional ally, Shiv Sena.
In the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, BJP had won 11 of 14 seats in the state.