NEW DELHI: The Congress is all set to wrest Madhya Pradesh from the BJP after a hiatus of 15 years, an exit poll conducted by ABP News has predicted on Friday. According to the poll, the Congress is set to win 126 seats in the 230 member assembly while the incumbent BJP is likely to secure 94 constituencies. The Congress has emerged as the most preferred party; 43 per cent are likely to have voted for the Congress whereas the incumbent party BJP is likely to have secured 40 per cent of the votes. The Bahujan Samaj Party was preferred by 5 per cent of the respondents and 12 per cent chose other parties in the state.

ABP News Madhya Pradesh Exit Poll Key Takeaways

1: Congress likely to be on top in all regions except Malwa North where the BJP may end up with a narrow lead.

2: A quarter of the respondents had made their mind about whom to vote for much before the campaign started; and a little more than one of five made their mind after the candidates were declared by the party.

3: Inflation was the biggest issue while voting in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election for one of five voters, followed closely by unemployment.

4: Development, corruption and poverty were also important issues in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections.

5: Party was considered more important than candidate while voting.


6: Shivraj Singh Chouhan continues to be the most preferred Chief Minister choice; two of five respondents preferred him.


7: But the Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh (all combined) preferred by almost half of the respondents, Jyotiraditya Scindia most preferred for CM’s post among all the Congress leaders.


8: Scindia seems to have had more impact on Congress voters compared to Kamal Nath.


9: In individual likeability for the leaders, Jyotiraditya Scindia is most preferred over Shivraj Singh Chouhan.


10: State leaders are liked by voters than national leaders like Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah.


11: The survey found a huge anti-incumbency sentiment; almost half of the surveyed voters expressed that the incumbent BJP government should not get another chance; only two of five wanted government to be re-elected.


12: The satisfaction with the ruling state government was also very low as compared to the past assembly election held in 2013.


13: Satisfaction with the Central government headed by the NDA was even lower than the state BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.