All 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh shall be going to polls in a single part on November 17. In the meantime, Chhattisgarh will maintain the second part of its two-phase elections within the remaining 70 out of 90 constituences.
With BJP and Congress dominating the electoral narrative in each the states, the November 17 elections shall be a traditional conflict of the titans as each the events vie to wrest energy from one another.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is hoping to topple the Shivraj Chouhan-led BJP authorities, which has been in energy for nearly 20 years now besides the 2 years when the grand previous social gathering briefly assumed workplace post-2018 elections.
In Chhattisgarh, the Congress is attempting to carry its fort beneath the management of chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who’s the grand previous social gathering’s poster boy within the state.
Excessive-decibel campaigning in MP
Each the states witnessed intense campaigning by each BJP and Congress because the events went all out to woo the voters.
Electioneering noticed PM Modi, Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Union minister Rajnath Singh, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, amongst others, touring the state and addressing election conferences to drum up assist for saffron social gathering nominees in all of the 230 seats.
Congress president Kharge, his predecessor Rahul Gandhi, social gathering normal secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, MPCC chief Kamal Nath, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, amongst others, addressed public rallies to garner assist for his or her 230 candidates.
Samajwadi Social gathering’s Akhilesh Yadav additionally held a couple of rallies to drum up assist for his social gathering in MP.
PM Modi, Shah and different BJP leaders accused the earlier Congress governments within the state and on the Centre for allegedly indulging in corruption and loot of public cash, and in addition spoke concerning the upcoming Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The BJP didn’t miss an opportunity to emphasize that it has pulled MP out of ‘BIMARU’ (laggard) class when energy cuts, pathetic highway circumstances and water shortage have been the order of the day and cautioned those who if the Congress returns to energy it can smash the state once more.
The BJP is banking closely on the Prime Minister’s charisma and recognition to retain energy. The saffron social gathering marketing campaign’s was woven round slogans and chants of “MP Ke Mann Mein Modi” and “Modi Ke Mann Mein MP.”
The Congress electioneering centered on promise of a caste survey and welfare of Different Backward Lessons (OBCs) who represent round 48 per cent of the state’s inhabitants.
Priyanka Gandhi opened her social gathering’s marketing campaign for MP on June 12 by launching a blistering assault on Bthe JP saying that 225 “scams” had taken place within the 220 months of BJP rule within the MP. She claimed solely 21 authorities jobs have been supplied within the state by the BJP authorities within the final three years.
The Congress marketing campaign focused the BJP authorities over unemployment, value rise and alleged that fifty per cent “fee raj” was prevailing within the state.
Fissures in INDIA bloc
The elections in MP additionally delivered to fore some tensions within the opposition’s INDIA bloc forward of subsequent yr’s normal election.
SP chief Akilesh Yadav accused the Congress of betraying him by not conceding six seats to his social gathering as promised. The SP has fielded 71 candidates in MP.
One other INDIA constituent, Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP), has additionally fielded candidates within the state after failing to reach at a pre-poll tie-up.
Each SP and AAP took potshots at Congress through the campaigning.
One other key INDIA member, Janata Dal (U), is contesting polls in 10 constituencies.
In the meantime, the Mayawati-led BSP has fielded 183 candidates, whereas its ally Gondwana Gantantran Social gathering, a tribal outfit, has given tickets to greater than 45 nominees. BSP shouldn’t be a part of the INDIA alliance.
Modi vs Baghel in Chhattisgarh
In Chhattisgarh, it was a PM Modi vs Bhupesh Baghel present through the campaigning for the remaining 70 seats.
The BJP’s marketing campaign was just about spearheaded by PM Modi who addressed 4 well-attended rallies and focused the Baghel-led authorities over corruption, significantly the alleged Mahadev betting app rip-off and recruitment scandal, and Naxalism.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, BJP president JP Nadda, and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma extensively campaigned for the saffron social gathering, all concentrating on Baghel over the alleged betting app rip-off and “non secular” conversion, and accused the ruling Congress of indulging in appeasement politics.
BJP leaders claimed that the Congress had been battered within the first part of polls and can be worn out within the second.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and CM Baghel led the marketing campaign for the ruling social gathering and mounted a counter-offensive claiming that their social gathering is worried concerning the curiosity of the poor whereas the BJP-led Centre solely works for the welfare of the wealthy.
Congress based mostly its marketing campaign on a slew of welfare schemes rolled out by the Baghel authorities for farmers, girls, tribals and Dalits.
It accused the Centre of “handing over” assets to “industrialist mates”. It tried to woo farmers with a promise of mortgage waiver, additionally made by it in 2018, and Different Backward Castes (OBCs) with the promise of caste census.
Notably, Baghel on Sunday introduced that if his social gathering retains energy within the state, girls within the state would get annual monetary help of Rs 15,000.
The announcement, which got here simply forward of the second part of Chhattisgarh elections on November 17, is being seen as a counter to the opposition BJP’s promise in its ballot manifesto of giving Rs 12,000 per yr to married girls, which, based on political observers, might work within the favour of the saffron social gathering.
Elections in numbers
The political destiny of as many as 2,533 candidates in Madhya Pradesh and 958 candidates in Chhattisgarh shall be determined by the voters on Friday.
In MP, as many as 5,60,60,925 voters — 2,88,25,607 males, 2,72,33,945 females and 1,373 third gender individuals — are eligible to train their franchise on Friday when single part voting opens from 7 am to six pm at 2,049 polling stations within the state.
In 2018, the Congress got here again to energy after profitable 114 seats and rising as the one largest social gathering. It shaped the federal government with the assistance of BSP, SP and unbiased MLAs beneath the management of Kamal Nath.
Nonetheless, a rebel by Jyotiraditya Scindia led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath authorities and paved manner for Chouhan’s return. The BJP additional cemented its grip on energy after the 2020 bypolls.
In Chhattisgarh’s second part, an estimated 1,63,14,479 voters, together with 81,41,624 male, 81,72,171 feminine and 684 third-gender are eligible to solid their vote. As many as 18,833 polling cubicles have been arrange for this part.
The time of polling in all 70 constituencies is from 8 am to five pm, besides 9 polling cubicles within the Maoist-affected Bindranawagarh seat in Rajim district, the place voting shall be held from 7 am to three pm.
The polling cubicles in Bindranawagarh seat the place voting shall be held from 7 am to three pm are Kamarbhaudi, Amamora, Odh, Bade Gobra, Ganwargaon, Gariba, Nagesh, Sahbinkachhar and Kodomali.
In 2018, the Congress wrested energy from the Raman Singh-led BJP authorities in Chhattisgarh after profitable 68 out of the 90 seats within the state.
After Friday’s elections, voting will happen in Rajasthan on November 25 and Telangana on November 30. The outcomes for all of the 5 states shall be declared on December 3.
(With inputs from PTI)
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