Assembly Elections 2018: After Congress' 3-0 win against BJP, focus now on CM face in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

The Congress, which was two short of the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230-member Assembly, has received support of two BSP MLAs with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati saying that she wants to keep the BJP at bay. 

As per the final results declared by the Election Commission after 24 hours of counting, the Congress won 114 seats while the ruling BJP won 109 seats. 

The Mayawati-led BSP has won two seats and the Samajwadi Party (SP) has won one seat. Independents form the third largest block after the BJP and the Congress, emerging victorious on four seats.

The two main contenders of the chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh are: Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath and campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia. 

While both the leaders are tight-lipped on the name of the CM, the support among newly-elected MLAs seems to be in the favour of Kamal Nath. Reports claimed that both the BSP and the SP have favoured veteran Kamal Nath over Scindia. 

Newly-elected Congress legislators are expected to meet at 4 pm. It is likely that a one line resolution will be passed authorising the party high command to take a decision, sources said. 

While a final decision is yet to be taken, the wind is blowing in Kamal Nath's favour. 

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who along with Kamal Nath, led the party's campaign in the state, addressed the media in Bhopal but refused to say who will be the Chief Minister. He said while the "arrogant BJP" claimed it would get 200 seats in the state alone, they failed to achieve 200 seats in 5 states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana - combined. 

Scindia ducked the question on who will be the Chief Minister and added that the party high command will take a call in this regard.

"As promised to the citizens and voters, Congress has packed off BJP government in MP," Scindia said. 

"It was not just the farm distress but voters voted out BJP government on other issues including lack of woman security, rising unemployment in MP," he added. 

With the Congress win in Rajasthan, the question that is being asked in the Congress party is- Who will be the CM? Tried and test Ashok Gehlot or the young blood Sachin Pilot? 

While the Congress has emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan, winning 99 seats, the BJP got 73. The Congress also has the support of other parties including the 6 MLAs of the BSP and one of the RLD. 

Conceding defeat, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje resigned from her post on Tuesday. 

A Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held at the party's state headquarters on Wednesday to discuss the name of the next Rajasthan chief minister. 

AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande and party's observer KC Venugopal sought individual opinion of the party MLAs in the meeting. A final decision will be taken by ConCongressesident Rahul Gandhi after a feedback from the MLAs. The legislators body also passed a resolution leaving the decision to choose the Chief Minister up to the high command.

Sources in Delhi said that the Congress leadership is in favour of installing Gehlot as the Chief Minister. He will leave his post of General Secretary(Organisation) to return to the state. His place in the party is likely to be filled by Mukul Wasnik. 

Gehlot has served as the state's Chief Minister for two terms - from 1998 to 2003 and from 2008 to 2013. 

While many in the state and in Delhi credited the win to state Congress chief Sachin Pilot's hard work in five years, it seems that the young leader will have to wait for his turn. The final decision is yet to be taken but the Congress leadership has all but made up its mind. 

The Congress Legislature Party meeting is scheduled for today evening after which a new chief minister for Chhattisgarh will be announced. 

"The Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held at 8 pm. All India Congress Committee's observer Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC in-charge for the state PL Punia and other senior leaders will be present there," state party unit's general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said on Tuesday. 

The Congress registered a landslide victory in the Chhattisgarh polls, bringing an end to the 15-year rule of the Raman Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. It won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the BJP got only 15 seats.

Among all three states, the choice of chief minister in Chhattisgarh seems to be most clear with both the state and central leadership in favour of PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel. After the entire Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh was wiped out in a Naxal attack 5 years ago, the former Union Minister was herculean task to rebuild the party. 

Under his leadership, the Congress registered a landslide victory, winning 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, bringing an end to the 15-year rule of the Raman Singh-led BJP government. 

Besides Bghel, senior leader TS Singh Deo, also the Leader of Opposition, and Congress' Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, who successfully contested the Assembly election from Durg Rural seat, are also among the contenders for the top post.

Singh Deo is from the erstwhile ruling family of Sarguja.