Bhopal after a day-long ding-dong battle between the bjp and the congress on tuesday when the counting of votes for the recently held vidhan sabha elections began, the state is all set for a hung assembly. With congress winning 114 and bjp 109 assembly constituencies in 230 member house, voters of madhya pradesh gave a fractured mandate resulting in a hung housefirst time in history of the state.
With hung assembly verdict both the political parties started acting on their plan b- managing rebel candidates. But congress seems to have an edge in managing support from ‘others’ as the bahujan samaj party has made clear that it would not go with the bjp. Even most of the independents who have won belong to the rebel congress faction. Congress leaders including party president kamal nath, digvijaya singh, jyotiraditya scindia and others remained confined at the third floor of the party headquarters in bhopal.
Sources confirmed that they were in regular contact with their ‘rebels’ besides kamal nath was also in touch with bsp senior leaders in new delhi. Bjp held a meeting at cm house where chief minister shivraj singh chouhan, bjp state president rakesh singh, kailash vijayvargiya and others were present. Though congress is falling short of the magic figure of 116, the independent winners like kedar dabur from bhagwanpur, thakur surendra singh from burhanpur and vikram singh rana from susner owed allegiance to congress before contesting as independent.
Fate of turncoats
a much hyped-name among turncoats was of sanjay singh masani, brother-in-law of chief minister shivraj singh chouhan. He contested from waraseoni and forfeited his deposit. Minister in shivraj government, septuagenarian leader sartaj singh too lost in hoshangabad. Hiralal alawa, founder member of jai adivasi yuva sanghathan, joined congress at the last moment and managed to win. Similarly, sanjay sharma who joined congress just before election too won.
Congress stakes claim to form government
Bhopal learning from goa experience, congress took no chances and late in night on tuesday shot a letter seeking an appointment with governor anandiben patel to stake claim to form government. State president kamal nath wrote that congress party has emerged as the largest party in assembly election besides having additional support of independent candidates
In his letter nath wrote, ‘I seek an appointment with your excellency late tonight as soon as the results are officially declared along with my senior leaders to apprise you and seek your permission to form government.’ aicc would be sending ak anthony as an observer for the mla meet to be organised on wednesday. State in-charge deepak babaria too would be present in the meeting.
Shivraj wins in budhni
madhya pradesh chief minister shivraj singh chouhan has won from his traditional budhni seat by a margin of 58,999 votes, defeating former union minister and senior congress leader arun yadav. Chouhan’s bjp and the opposition congress are locked in a neckand- neck contest in the state in the assembly polls. Chouhan had won the seat in 2013 with a margin of 84,805 votes.
Biggest win margin
ramesh mendola triumphed on indore-2 seat by biggest victory margin of 71,011 votes
Ministers bite the dust
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Congress stalwarts come a cropper
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