Independents, BSP, SP come under spotlight

BHOPAL: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress locked in a neck-and-neck fight in Madhya Pradesh, smaller parties and independents jumped into focus.

As of 11.30pm on Tuesday night according to figures obtained from the Election Commission website, the challenger Congress party had won or was ahead in a total of 114 seats, the BJP was ahead or had won 109 seats in the 230-member assembly, where halfway mark is 116.

The key to government formation appeared to lie with a clutch of smaller parties and independents. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was leading in two seats and Samajwadi Party (SP) in one. Independent candidates won three seats and led in one.

But the Congress, which is attempting to come back to power in the state after 15 years, appeared to have an edge. The SP national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav said that the party will support the Congress and news channel ABP quoted BSP chief Mayawati as saying that the party will not support the BJP in any case. Both the SP and the BSP have buried longstanding differences to come together in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in order to keep the BJP out.

Moreover, the three independents who won are Congress rebels. They are Vikram Singh Rana from the Susner seat by a little more than 27,000 votes, Kedar Chidabhai Dawar from the Bhagwanpura seat by 9,700 votes and Surendra Singh from the Burhanpur seat by a little more than 5,000 votes. The three candidates have come out in support of the Congress party. The fourth independent who is leading, is a BJP rebel. Samajwadi Party candidate Rajesh Singh was leading from Bijawar.

The Congress appeared confident about forming the government. “The party will form the government with full majority,” state party chief Kamal Nath told reporters.

The Congress leader has called a meeting of newly elected legislators of his party on Wednesday, among other leaders.

Political experts gave the edge to the Congress. “Smaller parties and independent candidates have a crucial role to play in formation of the government (in the event of a hung assembly),” said political analyst Girija Shankar.