As the state gears up for the election day, here’s all you need to know about vote timing, key candidates, key constituencies and more:
What are the vote timings in Madhya Pradesh?
The voting will start at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm. However, the voting will be held from 7 am to 3 pm at three polling centres in Balaghat and at four polling stations in Dindori as these areas are Naxal-affected.
The assembly constituencies in Balaghat district are Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada. “Along with this, voting at 55 polling stations in Mandla district and 40 polling stations in Dindori district will also be held from 7 am to 3 pm,” Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan said on Thursday.
There are three districts that are Naxal-affected in the state which include Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori.
Of the 230 assembly seats across 52 districts, 47 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 35 for Scheduled Castes.
How many candidates are contesting Madhya Pradesh Election?
A total of 2,533 candidates are in the fray for the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, where the main battle for power is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress.
Of these 2,533 candidates, 2,280 are men, 252 are women and one is a third-gender person
How many voters are eligible to vote in second phase?
As many as 5,60,60,925 voters — 2,88,25,607 males, 2,72,33,945 females and 1,373 third-gender persons — are eligible to exercise their franchise on Friday.
ALSO READ: Here’s how to find your polling booth
Which political party has fielded most candidates?
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are contesting the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election in all 230 constituencies.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded 71 candidates in MP. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded 183 candidates, while its ally Gondwana Gantantran Party, a tribal outfit, has given tickets to more than 45 nominees.
The Janata Dal (U) is contesting the polls in 10 constituencies, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded 66 candidates.
Who are the key candidates?
Some of the key candidates in the fray in this year’s Madhya Pradesh Election are Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Budhni), state Congress president Kamal Nath (Chhindwara) and three Union ministers from the BJP — Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijaywrgiya, and three Lok Sabha MPs of the saffron party — Rakesh Singh, Ganesh Singh and Riti Pathak — are also in the fray.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s son and ex-state minister Jaivardhan Singh and former chief minister Arjun Singh’s son Ajay Singh are contesting from their traditional Raghogarh and Churhat seats, respectively.
Check more on key contenders, constituencies and other details here
What are BJP’s strategies and promises in Madhya Pradesh polls?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP’s top campaigner, paid nine visits to MP and addressed 14 public meetings after the election schedule was announced, news agency PTI reported. The BJP seems to be banking heavily on PM Modi’s charisma and popularity to retain power.
The BJP’s campaign’s was woven around slogans and chants of “MP Ke Mann Mein Modi” and “Modi Ke Mann Mein MP.” PM Modi, Amit Shah and other BJP leaders accused the previous Congress governments in the state and at the Centre of allegedly indulging in corruption and looting of public money and also spoke about the upcoming Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The BJP did not miss a chance to emphasise that it has pulled MP out of ‘BIMARU’ (laggard) category when power cuts, pathetic road conditions and water scarcity were the order of the day and cautioned people that if the Congress returns to power it will ruin the state again.
ALSO READ: Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023: What BJP, Congress promised for the women in poll-bound state
In its manifesto, the BJP promised to provide free ration to the poor for the next five years and LPG cylinders to women at ₹450. The party also said it will set up Madhya Pradesh Institute of Technology and Madhya Pradesh Institute of Medical Sciences once it retains power in the state. The BJP further promised to provide 100 units of electricity for ₹100.
Check details of the BJP’s manifesto for Madhya Pradesh Election here
What are Congress’s strategies and promises in MP polls?
The Congress focused on the promise of a caste survey and the welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) who constitute around 48 per cent of Madhya Pradesh’s population. The Congress campaign targeted the current Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government over unemployment and price rise and alleged that 50 per cent “commission raj” was prevailing in the state.
In its manifesto, Congress made a slew of poll promises including ₹25 lakh health insurance coverage for all the people in Madhya Pradesh, Old Pension Scheme, caste census and Nari Samman Nidhi of ₹1500 per month to women.
Check details of the Congress’s manifesto for Madhya Pradesh Election here
What happened in 2018 MP election?
With 114 seats, the Congress emerged as the single largest party after the 2018 polls and formed the government with the help of BSP, SP and independent MLAs under the leadership of Kamal Nath.
However, the Kamal Nath-led government collapsed in March 2020 after a rebellion by now-Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress MLAs loyal to him, paving the way for the return of the BJP government headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Updated: 17 Nov 2023, 06:30 AM IST
