BJP retains Madhya Pradesh with two-thirds majority

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday cruised to a two-thirds majority in Madhya Pradesh assembly, winning as many as 163 of the 230 seats in the House, leaving the Congress a distant second at 66.

Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan, who led the saffron party's emphatic victory, won from his Budhni constituency, defeating Congress rival and TV actor Vikram Mastal Sharma by 1,04,974 votes.

Many party leaders attributed the electoral success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed as many as 14 poll rallies in the state.

Celebrations erupted outside the state BJP office as the party crossed the majority mark comfortably to retain power with a landslide victory.

Amid the sound of crackers, jubilant workers were seen dancing to the beating of drums as joyous scenes prevailed at the BJP office. Party leaders and workers were seen hugging one another and distributing sweets.

The state Congress office bore a deserted look.

State Congress president Kamal Nath and senior party leader Digvijaya Singh were in the office, holding discussions with party functionaries.

The BJP did not announce its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the November 17 elections, so there is no clarity as of now on whether Chouhan will continue or will be replaced by someone else or one of the Union ministers the party fielded for the assembly polls.

In Budhni assembly constituency, Chouhan defeated Vikram Sharma of Congress by over 1 lakh votes.

Chouhan thanked people of Madhya Pradesh after the BJP's victory in the assembly elections.

"This is the victory of the efforts of PM Modi and the developmental works done by the double-engine government. Our party workers have worked day and night for the victory.

"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the double-engine govt has done a miracle. I want to thank PM Modi, Amit Shah and our party president J P Nadda for guiding us throughout the election campaign," Chouhan said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath maintained his several decade-old stranglehold on Chhindwara even as the BJP retained power in the state with an emphatic win.

Nath defeated the BJP's Vivek Bunty Sahu by 36,594 votes. In the 2018 polls, Nath's victory margin against Sahu was 25,837 votes.

Since 1980, Nath has won the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat a record nine times.

Union Minister Prahlad Patel won his maiden Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls from Narsinghpur by defeating the Congress' Lakhan Singh Patel by a margin of 31,310 votes.

Prahlad Patel, one of the three Union Ministers the BJP fielded in the assembly elections, won his maiden assembly poll from Narsinghpur by defeating the Congress' Lakhan Singh Patel by a margin of 31,310 votes.

Patel said the BJP's stellar show in Madhya Pradesh and others states in the Assembly polls was due to the 'guarantees' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The reason behind the BJP's good showing is due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees, like his resolve for welfare of the poor, empowerment of women, employment for youth, respect and fair prices to farmers," Patel said.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar defeated Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Balveer Singh Dandotiya by 24,461 votes in Dimani constituency.

Polling in the single-phase elections on November 17 saw an impressive turnout of 77.82 per cent, surpassing the 2018 voting percentage of 75.63 per cent.

The state electorate voted for 2,533 candidates in 230 constituencies. There were 5.59 lakh eligible voters.

In the outgoing assembly, the BJP has 127 members and the Congress has 96. There are 4 independents, while the Bahujan Samaj Party has two and the Samajwadi Party has one member.

In 2013, the BJP won 165 seats and the Congress 58. In those polls, the BJP garnered 44.88 per cent votes while the Congress polled 36.38 per cent votes.

In 2018, the Congress emerged victorious in 114 seats with 40.89 per cent vote share while the BJP registered win in 109 seats with 41.02 per cent votes.