Madhya Pradesh election updates | 71.16% voter turnout till 5 p.m.

Only one voter from Shahpur village in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara assembly constituency cast vote in the state elections on Friday as the rest of the locals boycotted polling to protest the denial of ticket by the Congress to a local leader from another seat.

Sitting MLA and state Congress chief Kamal Nath and the BJP’s Vivek Bunty Sahu are the main contestants from Chhindwara.

Of 1,063 registered voters in the village, only the village `kotwar’ cast his vote around 6 pm when the polling was about to end. Kotwars are appointed to disseminate information about welfare schemes and assist the administration otherwise.

The village panchayat on Thursday decided to boycott polling as the Congress denied ticket to Neeraj Bunty Patel, who hails from Shahpur, from Chaurai assembly seat, said local resident Daulat Singh.

Patel is contesting from Chaurai as an independent candidate.

As per booth presiding officer Ramesh Gadge, only kotwar Gopal cast his vote.

The same polling booth had recorded 99 per cent voting in 2018, he added. - PTI

Voter turnout in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls has reached 71.16% by 5 p.m., as per the Election Commission data.

Female voters stood at 71.14% and male voters at 71.19%.

Prominent among those who voted early include Chouhan and his family, Nath along with his family, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Prahlad Patel, state BJP president V.D. Sharma and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Industries Minister Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon and state CEO Anupam Rajan were also among those who cast their votes in the morning.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and his son and former minister Jaivardhan Singh, who is contesting from Raghogarh, also cast their ballots along with family members. Former minister Ajay Singh exercised his franchise in Churhat constituency. - PTI

The highest voter turnout of 70.27 per cent was recorded in Shajapur district, while the lowest turnout of 45.34 per cent was registered in state capital Bhopal, he said.

Balaghat district’s Naxalite-affected Baihar seat recorded a turnout of 61.87 per cent, Lanjhi 74.40 per cent and Paraswada 72.32 per cent, he said.

However, details of the voter turnout at the polling stations in other Naxalite-affected districts are awaited.

As of 3 p.m., 60.52% votes have been polled in Madhya Pradesh, according to the Election Commission data.

A BJP candidate and an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter sustained injuries after unidentified persons opened fire in Madhya Pradesh’s Mehgaon Assembly constituency on Friday.

A police team reached the spot on being informed of the incident, police said.

ANI

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said he was not in the race for the chief minister’s post in Madhya Pradesh.

“I have told you (media) earlier, I am not in the chief ministerial race. I was neither in this race earlier nor today. You have asked me repeatedly in 2013, 2018 and now and I told you the same,” he said after casting his vote.

The Civil Aviation Minister also said that the people of the state would make Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win this election with full majority in order to secure their future, and for development and progress.

The BJP has not projected any Chief Ministerial face in the State, where polling for the 230-member assembly is currently underway.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Friday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of distributing money and liquor to voters on the eve of the state assembly elections.

Polling for the 230-member state assembly is underway on Friday.

Talking to reporters at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office here, Nath claimed, “Only police, money and administration are left with the BJP. They distributed money and liquor the entire day yesterday. I have received several videos.” He also alleged that the BJP created a ruckus in the police station located in Indore-1 assembly constituency, and that he held talks with the officials there about the situation.

When asked about state BJP chief V D Sharma’s allegations that Congress was involved in hooliganism, Nath said, “They have nothing left to say. Do they have any examples for this (Congress hooliganism)?” In the morning, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said if any party other than the BJP wins the election, then there will be celebrations in Pakistan.

PTI

As of 1 p.m., 45.70% of male voters have exercised their voting rights, while the voting percentage of female voters stands at 45.11%, according to an official at the State Election Commission.

A Congress worker, Salman, has allegedly been killed in Chhatarpur district’s Rajnagar Assembly segment.

Congress candidate and sitting MLA from the seat, Vikram Singh Nati Raja, speaking to reporters alleged that supporters of a rival candidate attacked him with a car.

“While I entered my car in a hurry, Salman was run over by them,” he said.

As of 1 p.m., 45.40% votes have been polled in Madhya Pradesh, according to the Election Commission data.

Liquor sales in Madhya Pradesh jumped by around 15% between Monday and Wednesday evening before the state went “dry” ahead of Friday’s assembly polls to check malpractices, an excise official said.

According to the official, 8,67,282 litres of all types of alcohol, including country-made and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), was sold on November 13. The figures for the next two days stood at 9,17,823 and 8,81,550 litres, he said.

Last year, alcohol sales were around 7,42,092 litres, 7,71,331 litres, and 7,67,273 litres on November 13, 14 and 15, respectively, he said.

Seeking to downplay the rise in alcohol sales, the official said every year, it goes up by about 10%. He said in the last fiscal, liquor outlets were auctioned for Rs 11,700 crore in MP, which was done for Rs 12,800 in the current financial year as they anticipate a 10% rise in demand.

PTI

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday stressed that he has never been in the race for the post of Chief Minister, neither in 2013, 2018 and 2023.

The Union Minister also said that the race is for the development and growth of the country.

Speaking to ANI about the polls, the BJP leader said, “I have always said that I am not in the race for the Chief Minister. I was never in the race, neither in 2013, 2018 or 2023. The race is for the development and growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.

ANI

The former Chief Minister continues to hold be a vital part of Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh, building schemes and planning campaigns ahead of the Assembly polls.

Read more.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday slammed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for drawing analogies through films during her campaigning, saying she came to M.P. for “entertainment” and disrespecting democracy and people.

“Congress is not serious. I want to ask Priyanka Gandhi whether acting or ‘Jai-Veeru’ or if a film can be made on Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is a poll issue. She has made fun of elections. It is disrespect to democracy and the people,” Mr. Chouhan told PTI at his ancestral home in Jait of Sehore district before heading for voting in the MP Assembly polls.

“She is not at all serious. They consider polls, people and democracy entertainment. That’s why they arrived here for entertainment. It is a reflection of her poor thinking. Talk about serious issues. Can you contest polls on the issue of CM acting in films,” asked Mr. Chouhan, referring to her remarks during campaigning.

Addressing an election rally in the Datia assembly constituency, Priyanka had termed Mr. Chouhan a “world-famous actor” and said he could outshine Amitabh Bachchan. “But whenever someone talks about work, he starts behaving like (comedian) Asrani,” she had said.

PTI

Rajkummar Rao, actor and national icon of the Election Commission, on Thursday urged citizens to cast their vote in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.

In an Instagram post, the National Award-winning actor appealed to the people of Madhya Pradesh to fulfil their duty.

“It’s poll day in Madhya Pradesh. Don’t forget to cast your precious vote and fulfil your duty!” Rao captioned a promotional video created by EC for the election.

PTI

According to the data by the Election Commission of India, 27.79% of votes have been polled in the State as of 11 a.m.

Polling began at 7 a.m. across all 230 constituencies, including 47 reserved for ST and 35 for the SC, in the State, the official said.

The Congress on Friday appealed to voters in Madhya Pradesh to make the best use of their vote and elect a Congress government that has the trust of the poor, farmers, women and youth.

Mr. Kharge said the people of the State will win today because they are united for change.

“We urge the youth who are voting for the first time to participate enthusiastically in this movement for change and vote.

“New venues of employment are waiting for you and you will be free from the recruitment scams of the state,” Mr. Kharge said in his message to voters.

“Madhya Pradesh will be victorious, Our country will become better,” Mr. Kharge also said.

PTI

With the voting for Madhya Pradesh assembly seats underway, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday expressed confidence in the formation of a double-engine government in the state and said that the party will win more than 150 seats.

Speaking to ANI about the polls, the BJP candidate from Indore 1 said, “I would like to request all the voters to cast their votes. BJP will form the government in Madhya Pradesh, and a double-engine government will be formed here. We will do development work like we did earlier. We will win more than 150 seats.

BJP leader and son of Mr. Vijayvargiya, Akash Vijayvargiya, said: “We will form the government comfortably and run it efficiently.”

ANI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan on Friday said that the polling in the State is going on smoothly. “In a few machines, there were some complaints of errors, and we changed them immediately.,” he said.

Mr. Rajan said in the Morena district, there was news of an open fire, but the collector refuted it.

The Congress party’s candidate from Gwalior, Satish Sikarwar, on Friday exuded confidence of party’s win in the state assembly elections.

Launching an attack on the ruling BJP, Mr. Sikarwar said, “Corruption, unemployment, inflation, and atrocities against women are among several issues in the State. The common man is not able to have two square meals a day. So people will vote to remove the BJP and bring Congress into the State.”

Satish Sikarwar is the Congress candidate from the Gwalior East Assembly constituency. He lost to Munalal Goyal in the 2018 Assembly elections when he was fighting against him on a BJP ticket and the latter was fighting on a Congress ticket.

ANI

Union Minister Prahlad Patel on Friday urged voters to come out in record numbers and exercise their franchise in Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Patel is contesting the Narsinghpur Assembly seat on a BJP ticket.

The BJP has fielded its three Union Ministers in the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Polls. The three Union ministers are Narendra Singh Tomar (agriculture), who also heads the BJP state election management committee, Prahlad Singh Patel (MoS food processing and jal shakti) and Faggan Singh Kulaste (MoS steel and rural development).

ANI

Violence erupted at two polling booths -- 147 and 148 -- of the Dimani Assembly constituency at Mirghan in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, with two groups resorting to stone pelting, police said.

One person was injured in the stone pelting, the police informed, adding that the situation was now under control and adequate security deployment had been made at the spot in the wake of the incident.

ANI

A total of 10.39% of electorates exercised their franchise till 9 a.m. in Madhya Pradesh, where polling began in the morning for the 230-member Assembly on Friday.

Till 9 a.m., 10.39% of voters cast their votes in the state, a poll official said.

Polling began at 7 a.m. across all 230 constituencies, including 47 reserved for ST and 35 for the SC, in the State, the official said.

PTI

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress State president, Kamal Nath, on Friday said he was positive that the grand old party would wrest the State from the BJP.

Speaking to reporters before casting his vote in the ongoing elections in Madhya Pradesh, Nath said, “I have faith in the people to make the right choice. I trust the public to side with the truth.”In a swipe at the incumbent CM, he added, “I am not Shivraj Singh Chouhan and will, hence, not claim that we are winning these many many seats. I will leave that for the people to decide.”

Yesterday, I received several phone calls and also a video clip that shows liquor and money being distributed to lure voters,” the Congress State chief claimed.

ANI

Ahead of casting his vote in the ongoing state elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said, “There is immense excitement among people everywhere. I am getting love from Ladli Behna, children, youth and the elderly in the State...”

Narendra Chouhan, the brother of the CM said he was hopeful of the BJP returning to the hustings in MP with a comfortable majority.

“All arrangements are in place and people are waiting eagerly to cast their votes. People will vote first and then proceed to their respective workplaces. The BJP is on course to form the government with a big majority,” he said.

ANI

A “smart” polling station where people can vote without having to stand in queues and can take ‘inked finger’ selfies with the help of an Artificial Intelligence-equipped camera has been set up in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, where Assembly polls will be held on Friday.

The polling station has been set up at Maa Kanakeshwari Devi Government College in Nanda Nagar in Assembly constituency number 2, an official said.

“To keep the smart polling station queue-less, we have introduced an online token system. People arriving for voting will be given token numbers and they can sit comfortably in the polling station till their turn comes,” Rupal Chopra, assistant planner of the state-run Indore Smart City Development Limited, told PTI.

“A digital selfie point has also been developed at the polling station where an AI-equipped camera has been installed. After voting, if a person stands at this place and shows the camera his or her finger that has the indelible ink, a selfie will be clicked immediately,” she informed.

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended his greetings to first-time voters in Madhya Pradesh where polling is underway for the 230-member Assembly.

Taking to his official handle on social media platform X, PM Modi posted, “I am confident that voters from every region of the state (Madhya Pradesh) will vote enthusiastically to mark this great festival of democracy. My special greetings to all the youth of the state who are voting for the first time in this election,” PM Modi posted on X in Hindi.

​

Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been fielded by his party from the Budhni Assembly constituency. The Congress has pitted actor Vikram Mastal against him.

In the Chhindwara Assembly constituency, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is contesting from his home turf against the BJP’s Vivek Bunty Sahu, former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president for Chhindwara district.

BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, one of the party heavyweights who has been roped in by the central leadership to contest in the State, is contesting from the Indore-1 constituency.

Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, yet another BJP heavyweight, has been fielded from Narsingpur.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra is contesting from the Datia seat. Mr. Mishra is up against Congress’ Avdhesh Nayak, a former RSS functionary.

ANI

Ahead of voting for the Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, a clash broke out between workers of the Congress and the BJP in Indore’s Rau assembly constituency on Thursday night, said police.

The scuffle was between supporters of Congress candidate Jitu Patwari and BJP candidate Madhu Verma on Thursday night. The police had to use force to disperse the crowd.

“On November 16, a clash broke out between the two groups. A report was filed at the police station in this regard. A person named Rohit Patwari has suffered injuries to his head and another person, Pushpendra Chauhan, has also suffered injuries,” said Additional DCP, Zone 4, Abhinay Vishwakarma.

ANI

Voting for Madhya Pradesh’s 230 Assembly seats began at 7 a.m. today.

The voters can cast their ballots until 6 p.m., except in the Baihar, Lanji, and Parswara assembly seats of Balaghat district and some booths in Mandla and Dindori districts, where voting will be held until 3 p.m.

The webcasting facility has been made available at about 42,000 polling stations.

Nearly 5.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. It includes 2.87 crore male and 2.71 crore women voters.

ANI

The heavy campaigning for the November 17 election for Madhya Pradesh’s 230 Assembly seats came to an end on Wednesday with Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra terming Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia a “traitor” for switching over to the BJP and bringing down the 15-month Congress government in the State.

Addressing a poll rally in Datia, Ms. Vadra said, “He [Mr. Scindia] fell short in height but his arrogance waah bhayi waah [wow].”

She also claimed that when she was working with Mr. Scindia (when he was in the Congress) in Uttar Pradesh, several party volunteers had complained to her that he did not do their works as they did not address him as “Maharaj”.

“But he has followed the tradition of his family very well. Many people have betrayed but he betrayed the people of Gwalior-Chambal [the region of Mr. Scindia’s influence]. He stabbed you in the back and brought down an established government. It was your government,” Ms. Vadra said.

Mr. Scindia, in his numerous rallies, has trained his guns at the Congress on various fronts and has asked the pubic if he made the right decision by bringing down the government.

Mr. Scindia also responded to Ms. Vadra’s charges by calling her a “part-time politician”.

Read more.