Madhya Pradesh Election Result 2023: The ground is set for the culmination of the fiercely-contested elections between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) in Madhya Pradesh. The counting of votes is scheduled to commence at 8:00 am, which will be followed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) officially releasing the results on its website. The polling, held on November 17, garnered a substantial voter turnout of 76.22%, surpassing the 2018 elections by 0.59%, which recorded a turnout of 75.63%.
With 230 assembly seats at stake and 2,533 candidates in contention, Madhya Pradesh holds the highest number of seats among the five states that went to polls in November this year. The BJP, which contested these elections without projecting a CM face, strategically fielded three Union ministers – Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel, and Faggan Singh Kulaste. Meanwhile, the incumbent Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan contested from his customary Budhni seat, while the Congress nominated Vikram Mastal to rival him.
On the Congress front, senior leader Kamal Nath has been fielded from the Chhindwara seat, and Jaivardhan Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, is contesting from Raghogarh.
What have Exit polls predicted?
Exit polls conducted post-assembly elections in five states indicate a close battle between BJP and Congress in Madhya Pradesh. The 15-year BJP rule faces a potential challenge from Congress, raising questions about who will win the Hindi heartland. Survey predictions vary: India Today-Axis My India and Republic P-MARQ foresee a BJP return, while TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat and Times Now-ETG suggest Congress’s victory. Axis My India expects BJP to secure 140-162 seats, while Congress is projected to win 68-90 seats. Republic TV predicts BJP dominance with 118-130 seats against Congress’s 97-107 seats. News24-Chanakya leans towards BJP with 150+ seats, projecting Congress to secure 62-86 seats. The outcome remains uncertain, with opinion divided on whether Congress returns to power or BJP continues its reign.
Also Read:Madhya Pradesh exit polls 2023: Poll surveys predict neck-and-neck battle between BJP, Congress
Madhya Pradesh Assembly election 2018
Over the last 15 years, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has maintained his stronghold on the state for three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2018. However, in the 2018 state assembly elections, the BJP secured 109 seats, while the Indian National Congress emerged as the single largest party, securing 114 out of 230 seats. The Congress formed a coalition government with the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party and a few independent MLAs. Kamal Nath of the Indian National Congress assumed office as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, replacing Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s long-standing leadership.
However, the victory for the Congress was short-lived due to the resignation of 22 MLAs, leading to the fall of the party in the state. The by-elections allowed the BJP to shore up the numbers required to form the government, paving way for Chouhan’s return as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh once again.