New Delhi: Early trends have started coming in as postal ballots are counted in the poll states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Telangana.
According to early trends:
BJP: Leading in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, crossing the halfway mark in the latter.
Congress: Leading in Telangana and looks set to retain Chhattisgarh. It has already crossed the halfway mark in Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
Exit polls have predicted that the BJP will retain Madhya Pradesh and reclaim Rajasthan. The Congress is projected to get a second straight term in Chhattisgarh and win Telangana.
Of the four, the contests in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are generating the most suspense.
The fate of Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot and Vasundhara Raje will be decided in a matter of hours today. In 2018, the Congress won the state in a majority bringing the Vasundhara Raje government to an end. Ashok Gehlot became the chief minister and Sachin Pilot his deputy. A long infighting followed inside the Congress, which cost Sachin Pilot the deputy chief minister post in 2020.
In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is leading with a major seat majority but it is a close fight with Congress.
In Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded candidates for all the 119 seats – out of which eight seats are for its NDA ally Janasena of actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan. The saffron party’s key candidates include three Lok Sabha MPs, including its former Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
In Chhattisgarh, the Congress is pinning its hopes on Bhupesh Baghel for a second consecutive term. The Chief Minister is credited with revitalising the party in the state and also leading it to victory in 2018, wresting power from the BJP that enjoyed three terms in power.
