Cong, BJP confident as MP stares at photo finish
PLAN ‘B’ Smaller parties may be key as exit polls show close fight between main contenders
› We will win more than 140 seats [in the 230member assembly].wait till tomorrow, everything will be clear by then. KAMAL NATH, State Congress chief
Bhopal: The focus in Madhya Pradesh turned to smaller parties and independent candidates on Monday as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress worked on plans to forms the government if they do not cross the majority mark on their own.
Exit polls in the state have predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the BJP, which is targeting a fourth straight term in power, and the Congress, which is attempting to wrest power after 15 years. Almost all exit polls have predicted a difference of just a few seats between the two parties.
Senior leaders in both parties confirmed on condition of anonymity that they were working on permutations and combinations to finalise a ‘Plan B’ with the help of a clutch of smaller parties in case they fail to reach the majority mark. Leaders from both parties, however, expressed confidence of securing a majority on their own. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has dismissed exit polls and said the BJP could cross 200 seats. “We will romp home,” he said earlier this month.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath said, “We will win more than 140 seats [in the 230-member assembly].wait till tomorrow, everything will be clear by then.” Party campaign commit- tee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia had said on Sunday that the Congress had worked as a “united front” to dislodge the BJP and that there was an “uprising for change” across the state.
The prominent smaller players in the state are the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Left, and SAPAKS (a party espousing the cause of upper-caste Hindus).
“Let the results come. Then there will be attempts by certain parties to seek our support. However, a decision on the same will be taken by Behanji [BSP chief Mayawati] only”, said BSP state in-charge Ramachal Rajbhar.
Samajwadi Party state spokesperson Yash Yadav said no party approached them so far but that he was expecting calls on Tuesday once the results were out. Polling was held on November 28 during which 38.9 million voters out of the more than 50 million voters cast their votes at more than 65,300 polling booths across the state for 230 seats. The turnout rose from 72.69 %in 2013 assembly elections to 75.05%.
During a high-pitched election campaign, the BJP attacked the Congress for what it alleged was the misrule of the party for 50 years and blamed it for backwardness of the state. The Congress hit the BJP on the Vyapam scam and farm distress, while promising a loan waiver.
The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for counting day. State chief electoral officer VL Kantharao said: “There would be 306 halls and 3,220 tables for facilitating the counting which would take place at all the district headquarters. About 15,000 employees have been engaged in the counting work. Counting will begin at 8am and it is expected to be completed by 5pm.”
As per the chief electoral officer, 230 observers will declare the results after every round of counting. On an average, the counting would be completed in 22 rounds. “After the completion of every round, the tabulation sheet will be pasted with signatures of authorities concerned,” said Kantharao.
Experts said smaller parties could still emerge as important players. “They (smaller parties) just eye such leaders of parties like the Congress and BJP who are denied tickets, to rope them in for elections. But, of course, if there is a hung assembly, they may play kingmaker,” said analyst Girija Shankar .