After the counting of votes for five Assembly elections ended on Tuesday, the ruling BJP was pushed out of power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh; the Congress lost its last stronghold in the Northeast, Mizoram, to the MNF and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) retained Telangana. However, the fate of Madhya Pradesh hung in the balance as counting continued till the early hours of Wednesday. The Election Commission of India (ECI) finally released the results on Wednesday.
Here are the political developments of the day:
Zoramthanga to be sworn in as Mizoram CM on Saturday
Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan on Wednesday afternoon invited Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga to form the government. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at the Raj Bhavan at noon on Saturday.
The 74-year-old Zoramthanga, who was Chief Minister for two terms from 1998-2008, had staked claim to form the government on Tuesday evening after his party won 26 Assembly seats in the 40-member Mizoram House.
No decision yet on Rajasthan CM
A Congress delegation has arrived at the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur to give a letter to the Governor staking claim to form the government. However, no decision seems to have been taken on Chief Minister's choice. The decision on Chief Minister is likely to be taken tomorrow.
Desire to “bring about a change” led to BJP’s loss: Athawale
People’s desire to “bring about a change” led to the BJP’s loss in the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, says Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.
He claims that though the Congress will better its tally in 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will return to power under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
“In Chhattisgarh and MP, the BJP was in power for 15 years, so there was a feeling among the people to bring about a change. Rajasthan has witnessed formation of [different] governments every five years,” the chief of Republican Party of India (Athawale), a constituent of the NDA, said.
“The Congress will not benefit much, though its number of seats may go up to 60-70 and BJP may lose some seats in 2019,” he said.
“The loss of the BJP in three States will not have much of a negative impact in 2019 polls. I do not think there will be much of a problem and the NDA will form the government under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” he added.
Within 24 hours of his election, AIFB MLA joins TRS
Within 24 hours of his election to the Telangana Assembly, the lone legislator of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), K. Chandar Patel, announces that he is switching loyalties to the TRS.
Mr. Patel, elected from Ramagundam, meets K.T. Rama Rao, son of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, and expresses his willingness to join the party.
Mr. Patel defeated his nearest rival S. Satyanarayana of the TRS by over 26,000 votes.
Mr. Patel unsuccessfully contested as a TRS candidate in 2009. In 2014, when the TRS denied him a ticket, he contested as a Forward Block candidate but lost to Mr. Satyanarayana by 2,200 votes.
KCR says he is likely to take oath tomorrow
TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao says he is likely to take oath as Chief Minister on December 13.
“The Election Commission of India has to publish the final gazette. If that is done, the government can take oath. Likely by tomorrow..it may be possible. It may not be possible also,” he tells reporters after his unanimous election as the TRS Legislature Party Leader. “Would like to take oath tomorrow. It is a good time also. But it is possible only when the Election Commission publishes the gazette. We will see what happens, by evening.”
Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao arrives for the TRS Legislature Party meeting at T.G. Bhavan in Hyderabad on December 12, 2018.
Mr. Rao says he alone may take the oath or with two other colleagues. “We can expand [the Ministry] after five-six days. We can do like that.”
The newly-elected MLAs met at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad to elect the TRSLP chief.
Congress claims support of 121 MLAs in M.P.
The Congress has the support of 121 MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, claims party spokesperson Narendra Saluja. The party won 114 seats, but is two short of the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230-member Assembly.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath and senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia leave the Raj Bhavan after meeting Governor Anandiben Patel in Bhopal on December 12, 2018.
“With the support of BSP’s two, SP’s one and four independent candidates, the Congress’s tally is 121 in the Assembly,” Mr. Saluja has tells reporters at the Raj Bhavan after Congress leaders meet Governor Anandiben Patel.
Senior party leaders, including Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijay Singh, Arun Yadav and Vivek Tankha, meet the Governor to stake claim to form a government .
BJP will not stake claim to form govt, says Chouhan
Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses the press after submitting his resignation on Wednesday.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said he accepted ‘complete responsibility’ for the BJP’s defeat in the polls.
The three-time Chief Minister, who tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel earlier in the day, said the BJP would not stake claim to form a government in the State.
Highlights from his press conference:
He says:
“I tried to work for the State to the best of my abilities. It was in a bad condition when I came to power. See the irrigation sector today. See the schemes for social welfare. See other things. We tried our best.
“I noticed the pain of people since childhood and tried to address it. I brought ‘Ladli Lakshmi.’ I tried to give the poor their rights.
“If by mistake I hurt someone -- I never do it deliberately -- among the 7.5 crore MP residents, I apologise.
“Sometimes, seat calculations are different from votes attained. But it is true we did not get majority and what we expected. If anyone is responsible, it is Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It is my failing that I could not match people's expectations this time.
"We decided not to stake claim as we did not have numbers.”
Congress team to meet Rajasthan Governor at 7 pm
A Congress delegation will meet Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh at 7 p.m to stake claim to form a government.
The delegation will be led by the chief ministerial candidate, to be decided by party president Rahul Gandhi on the basis of feedback from the MLAs.
The contenders for the chief minister’s post are Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both of whom won with huge victories in their constituencies.
Sonia says it's a victory over BJP’s 'negative politics'
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi describes the party’s good showing in the Assembly polls as a victory over the BJP’s “negative politics“.
Expressing happiness over the polls outcome, she said it was a “Congress victory over the BJP’s negative politics“.
- PTI
Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot at the legislature meeting in Jaipur, on Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The Congress will stake claim to form a government in Rajasthan on Wednesday evening after the party president decides on the new chief minister, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Sachin Pilot says.
“We have full majority and will stake claim to form a government in the evening. We will take along all non-BJP parties and elected members who are against the BJP and are willing to support us,” Mr. Pilot tells reporters at the PCC before the Congress Legislative Party meeting.
- PTI
Congress legislature party meeting begins in Jaipur
A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) begins at the party’s State headquarters in Jaipur on Wednesday to discuss the name of the next chief minister.
AICC general secretary Avinash Pande and party’s observer K C Venugopal will seek individual opinion of the party MLAs in the meeting.
The CLP will file a resolution and the observer will apprise party president Rahul Gandhi on the opinion and views of the MLAs, says a party leader.
- PTI
M.P. Governor invites Congress for talks
Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulates Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan concedes defeat, accepting that the BJP had not been able to win a majority.
Resigning from his post, he congratulates Congress's State president Kamal Nath for that party's performance.
. “I have resigned. The responsibility for the loss is fully mine. I got people’s love and also votes. I congratulate Kamal Nath ji. Now I am free,” he tells journalists.
SP extends support to Congress in M.P.
The Samajwadi Party (SP), which won one seat in Madhya Pradesh, also decides to support the Congress.
Now with the support of both the BSP and the SP, the Congress has the required number of seats to form a government in the State.
BSP extends support to Congress in M.P.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) declares support to the Congress to form a government in Madhya Pradesh. Its chief Mayawati announces the support, saying it is to prevent the BJP from coming to power. She, however, adds that the support to the Congress comes despite disagreements with its thinking and policies.
Congress to hold meeting to pick CMs of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan
The Congress in Chhattisgarh will hold its legislature party meeting to decide on the next chief minister of the State.
Congress’ Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, who successfully contested the Assembly election from Durg Rural seat, state party chief Bhupesh Baghel and senior leader T S Singhdeo are front-runners for the top post.
“The Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held at 8 pm. All India Congress Committee’s observer Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC in-charge for the state P L Punia and other senior leaders will be present there,” state party unit’s general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi tells PTI. The chief minister is likely to be announced after the meeting.
Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande and party’s observer K C Venugopal will be present in the legislature meeting for the State and seek opinion of party MLAs for the choice of CM. “The CLP is meeting at 11 am,” RPCC president Sachin Pilot tells PTI.
The CLP will file a resolution and the observer will apprise party president Rahul Gandhi about the opinion and views of MLAs as well as senior leaders of the party. The decision will be taken by Mr. Gandhi based on the feedback.
A second meeting of the CLP will take place in the evening and the name of the chief minister is likely to be announced then.
- PTI
All quiet outside the Governor's office in Madhya Pradesh after the final tally rolled in
Police personnel on alert outside the Madhya Pradesh Governor's office on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, in Bhopal, after the final seat tally from the ECI revealed that the Congress had won in the State.
Congress emerges as the single largest party in Rajasthan
The Election Commission has announced that the Congress party as emerged as the single largest party in Rajasthan, winning 99 seats, while the BJP got 73.
The Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats, CPI(M) 2 and Independents 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission’s website.
The Congress is one short of a simple majority, 100 seats, to form the government in the state.
The focus in Rajasthan is now on who would be the Congress choice for chief minister between two-time CM Ashok Gehlot and the party’s state unit president Sachin Pilot.
- PTI
Congress wins in Madhya Pradesh
The Election Commission has released the final tally of seats for the Madhya Pradesh asssembly elections after a marathon counting session that went on all night.
The Congress won 114 seats, with the BJP coming in a close second with 109, said Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V.L. Kantha Rao. The Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats and the Samajwadi Party one seat. Four seats went to independents.
Pitched battle
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) did a clean sweep in Telangana, winning 88 seats out of the 119, with Congress coming in at a distant second at 19 seats. BJP won only one. In Mizroram too, the Mizo National Front won 26 of the 40 Assembly constituencies, with the ruling Congress winning five seats. BJP lost out with only one seat, again.
However, Congress came out on top in the other three States.
It was set for a landslide win in Chhattisgarh, winning 68 out of the 90 seats while the BJP won only 15. The fight was more balanced in Rajasthan with the two parties getting 99 and 73 seats.
It was in Madhya Pradesh that the seat-count went this way and that as counting continued. First the BJP was in the lead and then it was the Congress, and it went back and forth with everyone involved being unable to predict how it would end untill the last vote was counted.
