Amidst EVM snag and sparse bouts of violence, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election concluded with 75 per cent turn out till 6 pm. Maximum voting of 75.82 per cent was recorded from Congress leader Kamal Nath's bastion in Chhindwara.
Congress accused the centre of voluntarily deploying faulty EVMs after over 700 machines were replaced across 230 constituencies. Three polling officers, who were on duty in Gina and Indore, died due to cardiac arrest during the initial hours of voting.
BJP which has been ruling the state since 2003 is looking forward to a fourth consecutive term under the leadership of Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Although BJP has a clear CM face, the poll campaign was spearheaded by party leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh.
While a total of 2,899 candidates were in the fray, the prime contest is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress in 190-odd seats, while 30-40 more seats witnessed a triangular and quadrangular contests owing to presence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajawadi Party (SP), the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the SAPAKS Party, besides rebel candidates of both the leading parties who are contesting Independently.
In the 2013 elections, when over 72 per cent polling was reported, the BJP won 165 seats with a vote share of around 45per cent. The Congress won 58 seats with a 36 per cent share while the BSP won four seats with over 6% votes, while the remaining three seats were won by Independents.
25.25 per cent voting has been recorded across the state till 1 pm. Umaria saw the highest tunout of 36.36 percent and Sidhi lowest at 18.55.
Multiple bouts of violence have been reported from Bhind district. Samajwadi Party candidate's supporters indulge in firing to intimidate voters outside polling booths at Bhind Janpad Panchayat in Bhind assembly seat.
Election Commission recieves over140 complaints of EVM malfunctioning and other irregularities in first two hours of polling. Over 200 EVMs replaced across the state.
Election Commission announces Rs 10 lakh each compensation for the kin of the EC officials who passed away while on election duty. (ANI)
15.58 per cent polling has been recorded through out the state til 11.15 am. Maximum 27% polling in Sagar district while 2.53% polling recorded in Alirajpur district.
#MadhyaPradeshElections2018 | Centurion voter, 101-year-old Bhagwati Vyas votes in Nalkheda polling booth in Agar-Makwa district.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) November 28, 2018
Express video: Anuraag Singh
LIVE: https://t.co/FXGTVPDHkg pic.twitter.com/0AIG069ovp
Incidents of violation of model code of conduct recorded from over 30 constituencies since Tuesday night. Liquor, cash and freebies were distribution among voters.
Three state government employees deployed on poll duty died of heart attack in Indore and Gina districts this morning. Two died on duty at polling booths in Indore and a special police officer died at polling booth in Bamori constituency in Guna district.
The first hour of polling in Madhya Pradesh witnessed 6.32 per cent voters turn out.
Former CM and opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) chief Zoramthanga cast his vote at Ramhlun polling booth in Aizawl North-II constituency.
Former CM and opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) chief Zoramthanga cast his vote at Ramhlun polling booth in Aizawl North-II constituency.
#MadhyaPradeshElections2018 is not about electing a single MLA, it's about the holistic development of the state: Shivraj Singh Chauhan after casting his vote in Budhni.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) November 28, 2018
LIVE: https://t.co/FXGTVPDHkg pic.twitter.com/yG33ZIKDM1
We’re 100 per cent certain that BJP will form government with an absolute majority. We have set a target of 200 seats and our lakhs of volunteers are working to make it a reality: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan after casting his vote in Budhni.
#MIZORAM: Many Bru voters turn up at Kanhmun Temporary PS.
— AIR News Aizawl (@airnews_aizawl) November 28, 2018
AIRPic#RNUAizawl
PTC (Mamit) pic.twitter.com/dviR9t9JfN
Congress leader KK Mishra on EVM malfunctioning "is it just technical snags or something more, may be part of some bigger conspiracy".
EVM malfunctioning reported from multiple polling booths in Mhow and Depalpur seats of Indore district, Jabalpur Cant seat of Jabalpur district and Alirajpur district.
R The EVMs in Berasiya constituency of Bhopal are also facing technical glitches.Narmade Sansad, a congregation of Hindu seers led by Namdev Das Tyagi alias Computer Baba in Jabalpur announced its support for the opposition Congress.
The Sansad, while making the announcement, also cautioned the Congress that the support was only for five years and if the party didn’t further the cause of the Hindu religion and the river Narmada after coming to power, it will also be uprooted after five years.
आज मध्य प्रदेश में मतदान का दिन है। प्रदेश के सभी मतदाताओं से मेरा आग्रह है कि वे पूरे उत्साह के साथ लोकतंत्र के महापर्व में भाग लें और भारी संख्या में मतदान करें।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2018
Madhya Pradesh Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia casts her vote at a polling station in Shivpuri. She is up against Congress' Siddharth Lada. #MadhyaPradeshElections2018 pic.twitter.com/FrpyOXfZ7m
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018
I have full faith in the people of Madhya Pradesh, they are simple and innocent people who have been robbed for a long time by BJP, says Congress leader Kamal Nath.
Around 17,000 polling stations have been categorised as critical, where peaceful polling will be ensured through heightened security measures such as webcasting, CCTV camera surveillance and a higher deployment of central security forces and micro observers.
आज मतदान दिवस है। आप सभी सुबह पहले मतदान करें, फिर कोई दूसरा काम। अपने नागरिक अधिकार का उपयोग करने सभी परिजन, मित्र, पड़ोसी एक साथ जाएं। मताधिकार का उपयोग कर अन्य लोगों को भी प्रेरित करें। मतदान हमारा अधिकार ही नहीं, बल्कि महत्वपूर्ण जिम्मेदारी भी है।
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 28, 2018
विकास...साफ नीयत, नीति और नेतृत्व से आता है।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 28, 2018
आज मध्य प्रदेश जिस विकासपथ पर अग्रसर है उसमें सबसे बड़ा योगदान जनता द्वारा गत 15वर्षों में सही नेतृत्व का चुनाव है।
मैं सभी मतदाताओं से अपील करता हूँ कि अधिक से अधिक संख्या में मतदान कर विकसित मध्य प्रदेश को समृद्ध मध्य प्रदेश बनायें।
Of all the five election-bound states, Madhya Pradesh excites the most. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not a significant factor in Mizoram, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh is perceived to be less significant while a possible change of government in Rajasthan would be a routine affair, leaving the electoral outcome in MP as the ultimate marker of gauging people’s mood with respect to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Visuals from a polling station in Bhopal. Polling for 227 constituencies in the state will begin at 8 am, while voting for 3 constituencies has already begun. #MadhyaPradeshElections2018 pic.twitter.com/RnjsoctPbV
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018
Two most prominent self-proclaimed 'farmer-sons' Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Arun Yadav are pitted against each other in the high-profile Budhni seat from where the present chief minister contested his first assembly election in 1989-90.
Amidst multiple bouts of violence and EVM malfunctioning, the state of Madhya Pradesh witnessed voter turn out of 55 per cent.
As of now 745 EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines have been replaced across the state.
Three people have been arrested for allegedly firing outside a polling booth in Bhind Assembly constituency.
विधानसभा चुनाव की ड्यूटी के दौरान अधिकारियों की मृत्यु की खबर से मन दुखी है। दिवंगत आत्माओं को सादर श्रद्धांजलि। पीड़ित परिवारों के प्रति शोक संवेदनाएं प्रकट करता हूं। पीड़ा की इस घड़ी में हम सभी आपके साथ हैं।
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 28, 2018
A turn out of 37.29 per cent voters was recorded across 230 constituencies. Maximum turnout was recorded in Raised at 48.3 per cent and minimum 30.12 per cent in Mandasur.
I had already cast my vote. When people asked me whom I have voted for I showed this (palm). What else could have I done?Show a lotus?: Kamal Nath
