After the voting has completed for 230-seat Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the ruling party seems to have an edge over the Opposition Congress party. However, the fate of the political parties sealed in the EVMs would be opened on December 8.
Given the fact that there is no undercurrent of wave in favour of any party, the million dollar question is will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) romp home easily and reach the winning post for the third consecutive time quiet comfortably or the electoral battle will prove to be a nail-biting finish between the BJP and the CongressIJ
There is no gainsaying the fact the BJP contested election in on its governance of the past 10 years which no doubt have lifted the state from the morass backwardness and underdevelopment. That slew of welfare schemes launched by the ruling BJP government in the past few years have not only made Madhya Pradesh shun the tag of `BIMARU” state in terms of its growth in agriculture, industrial and social sectors but have also enabled it compete with other progressive states of the country in terms of development of its basic infrastructure like road and electricity and water.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been the only and popular face of the BJP in state in all public meetings he has addressed during the course of his `Jan Ashirwad Yatra” and election campaign has been exuding confidence that his party will be re-elected to power on the basis of development and public welfare.
However even as good governance and developments have remained the main poll planks, controversies and scandals rocking the BJP government in the past few years have virtually punctured Chief Minister” s claim of providing a good governance. Though Chouhan is seen as an honest leader, a slew of corruption cases against his top ministers, various scams and sex scandals have badly tarnished his image of a clean administrator.
From alleged sex scandals to corruption charges to moral policing, BJP ministers and MlAs have courted controversies denting Chief Minister”s image badly and pushing the party on the back foot in the poll season.
It is on these issues that the BJP has been found to be on the back foot with all the top Congress leaders of the country who visited the state raked up these issues to the hilt in all their election rallies and meetings in the state. The Congress leaders hope that the issues of corruption and anti-incumbency against the sitting BJP MlAs and ministers will catapult them to power.
Though all pre-poll surveys have given the BJP a distinct edge over its arch rival the Congress in the state the discerning silence of voters across the state appears to give a surprise electoral verdict when the counting will begin on December 8 next month.