BJP Vs Congress As Key States Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Vote Today: 10 Points

The elections in the two heartland states are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The elections in the two heartland states are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Source : PTI

Assembly Elections 2023: The voting has begun in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Thursday. The elections in the two heartland states are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held next year. Madhya Pradesh will cast its vote in a single-phase election, and Chhattisgarh is voting for the second time.

In Chhattisgarh, 70 seats are up for grabs. The first phase of the voting took place in the state on November 7 for 20 seats, which included the Naxal-affected Bastar division. For the second phase of polling, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s Patan seat in Durg district is also in the fray.

In Madhya Pradesh, the voters will exercise their franchise on all 230 seats. The elections are taking place across 52 districts, with 2,534 candidates in the fray. Around 5.6 crore registered voters will seal the fate of the candidates. 523 polling stations are set up across the state.

Here Are 10 Points: 

• Congress has high hopes for Chhattisgarh, backed by the massive support enjoyed by CM Bhupesh Baghel. The grand old party has claimed that the Chief Minister has set the state on the path of progress. The Congress is seeking to win 75 of the state's 90 seats.
• The second phase of polling in Chhattisgarh is crucial because seats of important leaders are at stake, including those of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy CM TS Singh Deo. The second phase becomes more important for the Congress as it includes seats of 10 ministers of the Chhattisgarh cabinet. 
• The traditional two-way contest in the state between the Congress and the BJP, has become interesting with the entry of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party presented the challenge. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party in the race.   
• The elections in Madhya Pradesh have also generated huge interest due to the collapse of Kamal Nath-led Congress government that collapsed after Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his 22 loyalists jumped ship and played an instrumental role in bringing back BJP in the state. 
• The Kamal Nath government in the state was 'toppled' in 2020 after several leaders led by Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP and the elected government ended up in minority. 
• The BJP has kept its focus particularly on the Gwalior-Chambal and Mahakoshal regions -- where it faced defeat in the 2018 polls. The area accounts for 72 of the 230 seats.  
• Speaking at a rally, Kamal Nath said that he could have also struck a deal as the CM but he did not do so, adding that "kursi jati hai to jaaye" (if I lose the CM chair, let that be). "Soon after I became the CM, a deal was struck. Being a CM, even I could have made a deal. MLAs used to come to me and say that they were being offered so many crores of rupees. But I said that I will not strike a deal with anyone. Kursi jaati hai toh jaaye..." the former MP CM said. He added, "When MLAs used to tell me they are getting crores, I would say mauj karo, mai kisise sauda nahi krne wala (Enjoy, I can't sign a deal with anyone).". He added that he denied all offers because he did not wish MP to be identified as the state where deals like this take place.
• Kamal Nath slammed CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and said the CM is a good actor and his "jhoot ki machine" is running at a faster pace. "He did not remember the women for 18 years and now they have become 'ladli' to him", the MP Congress chief said.
• The grand old party is now playing on the front foot with the recent win in Karnataka has given the party a much-needed morale boost.
• MP CM Chouhan, dubbed "mama," has left no stone unturned to ensure that the saffron party retains the state. Notably, the BJP has not projected him as the Chief Ministerial candidate this time, and the campaign was majorly led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.