NEW DELHI: As the ballots were tallied on Sunday for the assembly elections that set up the contest for the 2024 Lok Sabha, the Election Commission reported that the Congress was leading in Telangana and the BJP led in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. The four states’ elections have primarily been a bipolar struggle between the BRS and the Congress in southern Telangana and between the BJP and the Congress in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, where there are 230 members in the legislature, the BJP appears to be headed for a fifth consecutive term in office with leads in 143 seats and the Congress faring worse with 59.In Rajasthan, where the ruling Congress has always received alternating votes for the two parties, the BJP was also far ahead. The Congress led in 72 seats, while the saffron party led in 101, more than halfway. Due to a candidate’s death, polling in one seat was postponed, and voting took place in 199 seats. In Chhattisgarh, which is dominated by the Congress, trends indicated a close race with the party leading in 28 seats and the BJP leading in 34. Seeking political rebirth, the Congress might unseat the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by K Chandrashekhar Rao, which was targeting a hat-trick victory in Telangana. In the ninety-member house, the BRS held leads in 29 seats while the Congress held 51 seats. At 8 am, the four states saw intense security and great anticipation as the counting got underway. Mizoram, the fifth state to have elections, will have its votes counted on Monday. Election officials announced that a three-tier security system has been implemented and that only those with proper passes will be permitted entry into the counting centres.
