Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh witnessed a record voter turnout of 70 per cent for the assembly elections on Monday.
More than for 4 crore 65 lakh voters were given the right to exercise their franchise to nominate a total of 2,583 in the 230-member Assembly. Voting was held today in 51 districts of the state.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is contesting for two seats from the constituencies of Budhni and Vidisha. The BJP-government is fighting for an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the state where Congress was ousted 10 years ago.
Chouhan has exercised his franchise and has appealed to people to vote. He said, "I would request all the people of Madhya Pradesh to vote for the BJP and bring it to power. I will do everything possible to make sure that the state flourishes."
The other prominent candidates from the BJP are state Urban Development Minister and former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur (Govindpura in Bhopal), Forest Minister Sartaj Singh (Seoni-Malwa in Hoshangabad district) and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra (Datia proper in Datia district).
State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta is fighting from Bhopal South-West while Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Gopal Bhargava from Rehli and BJP MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia from Shivpuri.
The Congress' candidates are led by Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Ajay Singh, who is contesting again from the Churhat constituency in the Sidhi district.
Another prominent Congress candidate this time is Jaiwardhan Singh, the son of party General Secretary and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh. Jaiwardhan is in the race from Raghogarh constituency in Guna district.
Candidates from 12 erstwhile royal families have also thrown their hats in the ring.
The Congress has been out of power in the state since it lost elections in December 2003.
The BJP had come to power in the state in 2003, winning 173 seats, while Congress could manage only 38. The saffron party secured a second straight term in 2008 pocketing 143 seats, while Congress got 71, BSP 7, Bhartiya Jan Shakti Party 5, SP 1 and Independent 3.
(with addional inputs from PTI)
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