Vote counting for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, which took place on November 17, 2023, commenced at 8 am on Sunday in New Delhi. The elections aimed to fill all 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly and were conducted in a single phase.
Various exit polls, released on Thursday, predominantly projected the BJP in the lead, suggesting that the Congress might fall short of their anticipated gains despite counting on prevailing dissatisfaction against the incumbent government. Yet, some exit polls favored the Congress party.
Madhya Pradesh has been a stronghold for the BJP over the past two decades, except for a brief 15-month period when the Kamal Nath-led Congress government took power in 2018.
During the election, the BJP campaigned with a largely unified leadership, whereas the Congress presented former Chief Minister Kamal Nath as its prospective chief minister.
Exit poll results indicate that the welfare initiatives spearheaded by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, often referred to as "Mamaji" by the populace, coupled with the policies of the BJP central government, seemed to have resonated with the voters in Madhya Pradesh, which comprises a significant proportion of tribal and Dalit communities.
In the preceding state assembly elections of 2018, the Congress came into power, leading to Kamal Nath assuming office as the chief minister. However, later on, Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 MLAs, defected to the BJP, resulting in Chouhan's return as the Chief Minister of the state.
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