The Congress was leading in the BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and was locked in a close fight in Madhya Pradesh while the TRS forged ahead in Telangana and the MNF in Mizoram, trends indicated on Tuesday as votes for elections in the five states were counted.
Counting of votes is underway for 679 assembly seats in the five states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana. Polling was countermanded on one seat due to the death of a candidate in Rajasthan.
Rahul Gandhi said at presser in Cong HQ: “We have beaten the BJP in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. I want to thank the chief ministers who have worked in these states fir the work done over their terms. We now have a lot of work to do – for the youth of the states, farmers, shopkeepers. We are going to provide these states with a government they can be proud of. Central question being asked by the youth is how does the government give them jobs? There is a feeling amongst the people that what was promised by Mr Modi wasn’t delivered. Want to thank all the people who have supported the Congress party, it is a victory of the Congress workers who has fought under difficult circumstances."
He added: "With a resurgent Congress party, it will become very difficult for the BJP and the PM to win the next elections; jobs and farmers' problems are the central issues. There is a feeling that what the PM had promised about the economy hasn’t been fulfilled. The opposition is united and will fight together. Ideology of the SP, BSP is different from the BJP and is more aligned to Congress. No issue over chief minister - that will happen smoothly”
Rahul Gandhi added: “EVM question is a generic query - there are problems with EVMs universally and even if we have won these polls, there is a central issue that remains. If the EVMS are manipulated, then elections can be manipulated. US and other countries have said they don’t want an EVM and the question on EVMs isn't off the table.”
He added: “PM was elected on three platforms -- employment, corruption and farmers. Now people are asking what has been done -- corruption in the Rafale deal is a reality and that will come out.”
In Madhya Pradesh, the picture is changing minute to minute, in an electoral exercise which is being seen as a semi-final to 2019.
In Rajasthan the party has avoided naming a chief ministerial candidate, to ensure the faction-ridden state leadership remains united.
These five Assembly elections would be crucial for the BJP as it gears up for the Lok Sabha election next year and is in power in three of these states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.While the Congress is in power in Mizoram, Telangana Rashtra Samithi ruled Telangana before the Assembly was dissolved.
The elections also hold significance for the Congress, which is out to challenge the BJP's rule in the states even while protecting its last bastion in the North-East.
► Exit poll prediction
Exit polls pointed to a close contest for the Congress and the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, where the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government has been in power for the past 15 years, with a majority of them predicting an edge for the Congress.