The BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan is fighting for an unprecedented third consecutive victory.
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* Millions voted Monday across Madhya Pradesh, with the BJP confident of winning another five-year term and the Congress claiming that it was poised to take power. More than 55 percent of the 4.66 crore electorate had voted by 4 p.m. across the sprawling state, which will elect a new 230-seat assembly, the verdict due on December 8.
* An average polling of 43.26 per cent was recorded till 1400 hours in 230 assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh where voting is underway amid complaints of EVM malfunction in a dozen seats and incidents of firing in violence-prone Bhind district.
* Additional Chief Electoral Officer for Madhya Pradesh, V L Kantha Rao told reporters that the average for male voters was 43.92 per cent while that for female voters was 42.73 per cent.
* Rao said that incidents of firing in the air had been reported from three or four places from Lahar assembly seat in Bhind. However, none were hurt.
* He said that a maximum of 47 per cent of female voters had cast their votes in Susner constituency (Shajapur) while 55 per cent males had exercised their franchise in Narsinghgarh seat (Rajgarh).
There were complaints of malfunctioning of EVms from polling booths in 12 constituencies including Chhindwara, Shahdol, Rewa, Indore, Badwani and Panna. But all of them were rectified within 30 minutes, Rao said.
* In Sirmour constituency of Rewa district, votes of 94 people could not be recorded due to fault of the returning officer.
* Rao said that information about this had been given to the Election Commission which will decide on what has to be done in the matter.
Earlier during the day, polling was boycotted by people at some stations in nine Assembly constituencies including Hoshangabad, Ratlam, Gwalior, Raisen and Umaria.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, brother Laxman and his wife cast his vote from Raghogarh constituency in Guna district.
* Digvijay's son Jaiwardhan Singh is contesting polls for the first time as a Congress candidate from this seat.
* A total of 2,583 candidates are trying their luck in the elections being held in 53,896 polling booths in 51 districts.
The BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan is fighting for an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the state.
* An enthusiastic turnout was witnessed in the single-phase election to the 230-strong Madhya Pradesh assembly Monday with long queues of voters at polling booths and a 26% voting registered till 12 am, an Election Commission official said. Read here
* About 18% of the electorate exercised their franchise till 11 am for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections for 230 Assembly seats, the polling for which began this morning. Read full report here
* Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Monday cast his vote and said the Congress will get 140 seats in Madhya Pradesh. On the other hand, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj on Monday expressed confidence that her party will win with a huge margin. Read full report here
* Poll violence reported at Bhind during the elections
Election details
Polling for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly began this morning at 8 am to decide the fate of 230 seats where 2,583 candidates are in the fray.
The BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan is fighting for an unprecedented third consecutive victory.
Long queues were seen from morning at many polling booths in major cities of the state, including Bhopal. Polling in three Assembly constituencies of Naxal affected Balaghat district -- Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada -- started at 7 AM and will end at 3 pm.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Ajay Singh were among those who cast their votes early today in their respective constituencies of Budhni and Churhat.
Strict security arrangements have been made all over the state to ensure smooth conduct of polling. Voting will be held in 53,896 polling booths in 51 districts with an electorate of 4,64,57,724. For more details click here
Chouhan is contesting from Budhni and Vidisha seats. Voting for the 230-member assembly polls that will also decide Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's electoral fate is presently underway in Madhya Pradesh.
The other prominent candidates from BJP are state Urban Development Minister and former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur (Govindpura in Bhopal), Forest Minister Sartaj Singh (Seoni- Malwa in Hoshangabad district) and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra (Datia proper in Datia district).
State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta is contesting from Bhopal South-West while Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Gopal Bhargava from Rehli and BJP MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia from Shivpuri. The Congress' candidates are led by Ajay Singh, who is contesting again from the Churhat constituency in Sidhi district.
Another prominent Congress candidate contesting the election is Jaiwardhan Singh, the son of party General Secretary and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. Jaiwardhan is in the race from Raghogarh constituency in Guna district.
To know more about the key contenders, click here.
Candidates from 12 erstwhile royal families have also thrown their hats in the ring. Congress has been out of power in the state since it lost elections in December 2003.
The state will also witness a considerably large number of first time voters. Here's some of them tweeting about their first vote:
Watch:
Also read:
Madhya Pradesh all set for a cliffhanger - Conflicting mood in urban & rural areas makes it difficult to predict the outcome.
BJP, Congress ensure proper arrangements at booths in Indore. Read here
Strict vigil for polls keeps fake cops away. Read here.
For the complete coverage of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Polls, click here.
(With agency input)
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