After a nail-biting contest in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Congress emerged victorious even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave a tough fight to the grand-old party.
A dozen ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh were trailing in the state Assembly polls as per the last trends. Minister Narottam Mishra was trailing by a margin of6,200 votes in Datia while Rustam Singh was at the third position in Morena constituency.
Balkrishna Patidar was trailing in Khargone by a margin of 3,792 votes, while Lal Singh Arya was lagging behind by 6,552 votes in Gohad seat in Bhind district.
Minister Om Prakash Dhurve was trailing by a margin of 8,255 votes in Shahpura seat of Dindori district while Antar Singh Arya was trailing by 3,626 votes in Sendhwa seat of Barwani district. Deepak Joshi was behind by 3,070 votes in Hatpipliya seat in Dewas district, while Rampal Singh was trailing by 3,063 votes in Silvani seat in Raisen district.
Minister Archana Chitnis was also trailing in Burhanpur seat by a margin of 1,055 votes. State finance minister Jayant Mallaiya was behind by 1,336 votes in Damoh seat.
Another minister, Sharad Jain, was trailing by a margin of 7,958 votes in Jabalpur North seat and Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya by 5,489 votes in Gwalior seat.
Former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's nephew and Morena BJP MP Anoop Mishra, who contested the election on the BJP's ticket, was trailing from Bhitarwar seat in Gwalior district by 2,255 votes, an election official said.
Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh was also trailing by a margin of 3,032 votes from Churhat seat in Satna district.
The counting of votes for the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh began at 8 am, and postal ballots were being taken up first followed by electronic voting machines at 8:30 am. The election for the 230-member assembly was held on November 28, and as many as 2,899 candidates are in the fray. Fate of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan's bid for his fourth term in office will be known only today, while the challenger Congress expects to return to power after a 15-year gap. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in office since 2005, is seeking re-election from Budhni seat in Sehore district and is pitted against Congress candidate Arun Yadav, a former minister.
MP Assembly Polls Counting Day: All You Need To Know
Even as the exit polls have predicted a close race between the BJP and the opposition Congress, the leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have claimed they would win comfortably. The BSP put up 227 candidates while the SP 51. The Aam Aadmi Party, contesting the state election for the first time, fielded candidates on 208 seats. Also testing their electoral fortunes are 1,094 Independent candidates. Of the 5.04-crore registered voters, 3.78 crore (75.05 per cent) exercised their franchise.
Latest Updates of 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election results:
4:55 pm: Tight contest between Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath for CM post.
3:43 pm: Congress leading on 115 seats, BJP on 105
3:27 pm: Congress leading on 112 seats, BJP on 107, Others 11
3:10 pm: According to latest update, BJP ahead on 111 seats while Congress on 109
3:04 pm: I knew we would lose in Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh but MP trends have come as a surprise. I think we forgot the issue of development that Modi took up in 2014. Ram Mandir, statues & name changing became the focus, says BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade
3:00 pm: A nail-biting finish is being witnessed in Madhya Pradesh with both BJP, Congress maintaining head to head leads on 110 seats
2:47 pm: Congress workers celebrate in Raipur as party extends leads
Congress workers celebrate in Raipur as party extends leads
2:43 pm: Current tally in MP- BJP 112, Congress 107, others 11
2:24 pm: BJP candidate Chetan Kashyap wins in Ratlam
2:02 pm: Latest tally | BJP leading on 114 seats, Congress on 106
1:09 pm: Latest tally | BJP leading on 113 seats, Congress on 108
1:00 pm: Election Commission data as recorded at 1pm on Dec 11.
Election Commission data as recorded at 1pm on Dec 11.
12:42 pm: Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh was trailing Churhat seat in Satna district.
12:40 pm: Former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's nephew Anoop Mishra, who contested the election on the BJP's ticket, was trailing from Bhitarwar seat in Gwalior district by 502 votes, an election official said.
12:36 pm: Minister Deepak Joshi is behind by 4,219 votes in Hatpipliya seat in Dewas district, while Vijay Shah is also trailing by a margin of 1,304 votes in Harsud seat in Khandwa. Minister Rampal Singh is trailing by 1,193 votes in Silvani seat in Raisen district.
12:35 pm: Minister Om Prakash Dhurve is at the third place in Shahpura seat of Dindori district while Antar Singh Arya is trailing by 3,626 votes in Sendhwa seat in Barwani district.
12:34 pm: Besides, Balkrishna Patidar is trailing in Khargone by a margin of 44 votes, while Lal Singh Arya is lagging behind by a margin 3,039 votes from Gohad seat in Bhind district.
12:33 pm: State minister Narottam Mishra is trailing by a margin of 3,114 votes from Datia seat while Rustam Singh is at the third position in Morena constituency.
12:32 pm: Nine ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh are trailing in the Assembly polls as per the latest trends, an election official said.
12:24 pm: BJP, Congress head to head on 109 seats
12:19 pm: Scindia, who spearheaded the Congress campaign in Madhya Pradesh, said he was very confident that the Congress would form the government in the state. He said the trends reflected the people's desire for a change.
11:47 am: BJP now edges ahead of Congress. BJP at 113, Cong at 108
11:46 am: Rahul Gandhi became party president exactly a year ago this day, so this result is a gift for him. Congress will form Govt in three states, says Sachin Pilot
11:30 am: These are early trends but I'm sure that we are winning: Sachin Pilot of Congress
LATEST VIDEO:
11:26 am: Congress is leading with 113 seats in MP; BJP on 106
11:07 am: Congress is ahead on 115 seats in MP, BJP on 106
11:05 am: These are trends, but I am fully confident that we will get full majority: Congress' Kamal Nath
10:56 am: BJP now ahead on 107 seats, Congress on 114 seats, Others 9
10:25 am: BJP leading on 113 seats, Congress on 107, Others 10
10:13 am: These are early trends, we hope to perform well, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh
10:06 am: According to current tally, BJP, Congress both are in neck and neck fight with 111 seats each
9:52 am: Congress leading on 112 seats, BJP on 108, Others 2
9:51 am: Neck-and-neck fight as BJP, Congress lead on 110 seats each
9:42 am: Now BJP takes lead on 109 seats, Congress on 106
9:34 am: Congress now leading on 106 seats, BJP on 104
9:31 am: Congress, BJP locked in neck and neck fight as both lead on 100 seats each
9:28 am: Kailash Vijayvargiya says BJP willl definitely form government in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh.
9:21 am: According to latest updates, Congress is ahead on 100 seats, BJP on 90
9:19 am: According to latest updates, Congress is ahead on 86 seats, BJP on 85
9:12 AM: BJP and Congress both ahead on 80 seats each in Madhya Pradesh
9:03 AM: According to latest input, BJP is now leading on 70 seats while Congress on 60
8:58 AM: BJP ahead on 60 seats, Congress on 40, indicate initial trends
8:55 AM: BJP ahead on 45 seats, Congress on 40
8:52 AM: According to latest update, Congress leading on 30 seats while Congress on 28
8:40 AM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan ahead from Budhni seat
8:33 AM: Now BJP is leading on 14 seats, while Congress is ahead on 10
8:28 AM: According to votes in postal ballots, both Congress and BJP are now leading on 7 seats each
8:17 AM: In postal ballots counting, BJP is ahead on 5 seats while Congress is leading on 7 seats now
8:16 AM: In postal ballots counting, BJP is ahead on four seat while Congress is leading on three seats
8:12 AM: BJP's Gopal Bhargav leading from Rehli seat, in postal ballots counting
8:09 AM: According to early trends, Yadvendra Singh of Congress is leading on Nagod seat, in postal ballots counting
8:00 AM: Counting of votes begins in Madhya Pradesh
7:22 AM: Dedicated teams deployed to ensure full security. Diversion points put on roads outside centres. There's a 3-tier security system. Any device that can help communication isn't allowed inside: Bhopal City SP at Old Central Jail counting centre:
7:02 AM: The assembly election results of every round would be declared separately before the start of the subsequent rounds.
6:44 AM: Indore-5 seat is currently held by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) while the Congress represents Kotma constituency.
6:32 AM: Maximum rounds of counting -- 32 in total -- would take place in the Indore-5 assembly segment due to the highest number of booths there. The lowest number of counting rounds (15) would be held in Kotma seat in Anuppur district.
6:28 AM: 15,000 EC employees have been drafted for the counting process which will be monitored through 1200 CCTV cameras installed at 51 centres across the state.
6:14 AM: EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) will be taken up for counting at 8.30 AM. Counting of postal ballots would continue simultaneously.
6:09 AM: Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao told reporters that counting would begin at 8 AM with the postal ballots at 51 centres across the state.
6:00 AM: Counting of votes to begin at 8 am
Assembly Election Results 2018 LIVE updates, Election Results 2018: All You Need to Know
Know your leaders: Top candidates in Madhya Pradesh
1. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the 17th and current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. On 29 November 2005, he replaced Babulal Gaur as CM. He has served as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) general secretary and as president of its Madhya Pradesh state unit. For complete profile, Click Here
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
2. Jyotiraditya Scindia
Jyotiraditya Scindia is related to the Scindia family that once ruled in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He is a member of Parliament and represents the Guna constituency. A leader of Congress party, he was a Minister of State (independent charge) for Power in the cabinet of prime minister Manmohan Singh. For complete profile, Click Here
Jyotiraditya Scindia
3. Kamal Nath
A leader of the Congress party, Kamal Nath was ex-minister of Urban Development. He is one of the longest-serving and senior most members of Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament). Nath represents the Chhindwara constituency of Madhya Pradesh. Interestingly, nine times, he has been elected from this constituency. For complete profile, Click Here
Kamalnath
Madhya Pradesh elections 2018: State and its economy
List of constituencies, districts and Lok Sabha seats
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