With help from BSP, Congress achieves magic number; MP Governor calls party leaders for talks

The Congress, which was locked in a tantalising see-saw battle with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as the single-largest party with 114 seats after the vote count ended on Wednesday morning.

The party, which was two short of the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230-member Assembly, claimed support of independent MLAs. However, it got a shot in the arm after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati announced her support to the Congress party in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where it fell one short of the majority. The BSP has won two seats in Madhya Pradesh. 

"Results show that people in states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were totally against the BJP and its anti-people policies and as a result chose Congress due to lack of other major alternatives," Mayawati said. 

She said that although she does not agree with many policies of the Congress, she has agreed to support them in Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan to keep the BJP at bay. The BSP won 6 seats in Rajasthan where the Congress now has 99 MLAs in the 200-member assembly. Elections for 199 seats were held as the election on one seat was countermanded due to the death of a BSP candidate. 

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has called senior Congress leaders at the Raj Bhawan here at noon for talks, after the party sought an appointment with her on the issue of formation of government in the state.

Senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others, will meet Patel.

Raj Bhawan sources confirmed that Patel has called the Congress leaders after they sought the appointment with her.

As per the final results declared by the Election Commission after 24 hours of counting, the Congress won 114 seats while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (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. They are all Congress supporters and are said to be close to former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh. 

The four Independents are: Kedar Chidabhai Dawar from Bhagwanpura, Thakur Surendra Singh Naval Singh from Burhanpur, Vikaram Singh Rana Guddu Bhai from Susner and Pradeep Amratlal Jaiswal (Gudda) from  Waraseoni.

Akhilesh Yadav announces SP support

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has also announced support of lone party MLA in Madhya Pradesh to the Congress.  "The Samajwadi Party supports the Congress to form a government in Madhya Pradesh," Yadav said in a tweet. 

Shivraj Singh Chouhan concedes, offers resignation

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday conceded defeat saying he will not stake claim to form the government as the BJP has failed to achieve the majority in the state. 

Chouhan's BJP and the Congress were locked in a neck-and-neck contest in the state in the Assembly polls with the opposition party finally coming on top and emerging as the single-largest party. 

"We have decided that we will not stake claim to form the government as we have not achieved clear majority. I am going to meet the Governor and will offer my resignation," Chouhan said in Bhopal on Wednesday, soon after final tally of seats was declared by the Election Commission. 

He later met the Governor and tendered his resignation. 

Congress ends 15-year BJP rule

While the Congress scored more seats to end BJP's 15-year rule, the saffron party edged of the Rahul Gandhi-led outfit in the vote share by a slender margin. 

It got 41% of the total votes polled, while the Congress got 40.9%

Late last night, without waiting for the final results, the Congress wrote to Governor Anandiben Patel, staking claim to form the government in the state. In a letter seeking time from the Governor, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath claimed the party had the support of the four independents also.

"The Congress party has emerged as the single largest party with a majority support. All the independents have in addition assured support to the Congress party," the letter said.

"As the president of Pradesh Congress Committee, 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 in the state of Madhya Pradesh," Nath said in the letter.

According to reports, the Governor has given an appointment to Congress leaders for 1 pm. 

(With PTI inputs)