The BJP held power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, with a brief interruption from December 2018 to 2020. Exit polls in the state varied, with some favoring the BJP and others predicting a Congress victory.
The results of the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh Assembly would determine the political fate of the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and his Congress rival, Kamal Nath. The single-phase voting on November 17 saw the state achieving its highest-ever turnout at 76.22%.
Chouhan, relying on his government’s women’s welfare schemes and pro-poor policies, faced competition from Kamal Nath, who aimed to seize power from the BJP by capitalizing on anti-incumbency sentiments, alleged misgovernance, and corruption.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia attributed the people’s mandate to their faith in PM Modi and welfare schemes.
As the day unfolded, the BJP maintained a lead, with updates showing:
- 10:01 AM: BJP leading in 130 seats, Congress in 95, Others 05
- 9:57 AM: BJP leading in 129 seats, Congress in 99, Others 02
- 9:40 AM: BJP leading in 127 seats, Congress in 100
- 9:30 AM: BJP leading in 128 seats, Congress in 99
- 9:25 AM: BJP leading in 131 seats, Congress in 95
- 9:20 AM: BJP leading in 136 seats, Congress in 88
- 9:16 AM: BJP leading in 126 seats, Congress in 89
- 9:10 AM: BJP leading in 111 seats, Congress in 102
Throughout the updates, Chouhan led in Budhni, while Kamal Nath trailed in Chhindwara. The trends indicated a BJP edge in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, with Congress leading in Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
As the counting progressed, BJP maintained its lead, instilling confidence in leaders like Kamal Nath and Pawan Khera, who expressed optimism about the Congress’s prospects.
By 8:05 AM, the counting of votes had begun for all 230 seats.
