Madhya Pradesh poll results: Crackers, sweets and colours; celebrations erupt as BJP crossed majority mark comfortably

New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): Celebrations erupted in Madhya Pradesh as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gained the upper hand and crossed the majority mark comfortably and is set to retain power in the State with a landslide victory.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was seen in a jubilant mood at his residence and flashed a victory sign at CM House along with his family, in Bhopal on Sunday.

The Bharata Janata Party (BJP) was ahead in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while the Congress was leading in Telangana, according to the Election Commission as votes were counted on Sunday, December 3, 2023, for Assembly polls.

BJP workers celebrated with firecrackers, dhol, sweets and garlands as the party crossed the majority mark in Madhya Pradesh elections.

Sweets were exchanged between the senior party leaders.

Chouhan along with his family greeted party workers and supporters in Bhopal and later exchanged with state BJP president VD Sharma and union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present.

As per the latest figures available from the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 161 of the 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress was ahead in 66 seats.

The election to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly was a fight between the BJP and the Congress, whose then 15-month government, formed in the year 2018 was toppled from power in 2020 with help from Jyotiraditya Scindia who defected to BJP from the Congress.

The BJP though had fielded three central ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste to tackle the perceived anti-incumbency against Chouhan.

Chouhan relied heavily on schemes for women like the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ under which Rs 1250 is transferred monthly to eligible women from poor families in the state.

While, Congress described it as an election sop, implemented months before the assembly polls, the BJP leaders have said that it is in line with the party’s work for empowering women.