Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections 2018 updates: Voting concludes in Naxal-hit area; over 60% turnout recorded on all 3 seats

Encouraging voter turnout in Maoist-affected areas of MP 

The three Maoist-affected seats in Madhya Pradesh — Baihar, Lanjhi and Paraswada — reported encouraging voter turnout. According to reports, 66 percent turnout was recorded in Baihar, 64 percent in Lanjhi, and 68 percent polling was reported in Paraswada.

50% voter turnout in MP till 3 pm 

Fifty percent voter turnout was recorded in Madhya Pradesh till 3 pm. The voting is likely to pick up with only one hour left before polling closes. 

Office of Chief Electoral Officer: 50% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/EygrEhDZxa

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

Voting in three Naxal-hit constituencies conclude 

The voting has concluded for Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections in three Assembly segments in Naxal-affected Balaghat district — Lanji, Paraswada and Baihar. The voting time was held between 7 am to 3 pm.

At least 10 MP villages boycott polls over lack of basic facilities 

Entire villages in Madhya Pradesh stayed away from the polling exercise as they were protesting against the lack of basic amenities. People in the Majesara village of Mandsaur have boycotted the elections due to the problem of corruption in their area. There are 856 voters in their village. In Shahdol, voters in Vicharpura village have boycotted the elections protesting against the lack of availability of basic resources/facilities like water and road infrastructure.

The villagers of Ruparel village which falls under the Sunser Vidhan Sabha seat in Agar Malwa, have boycotted the elections and not even a single vote has been polled yet. There are around 283 voters in the village and they are boycotting the elections over no roads in their village. 

In Harda as well, villagers of Piliyakhal ward number 35 have boycotted the elections over lack of road and electricity facilities. The villagers of Govindgarh and Janakpur which fall under the Bhander Vidhan Sabha in Datia have also boycotted the polls over the demand of canal and road. Only four votes have been polled till now.

Likewise, the villagers of Patpara, Tikra Maheshpuri, Khalhe and Maheshpuri Chirapani in Dindori district have not voted yet. They are boycotting the elections over water problems

A small village in Agar Malwa sees  94 percent voting

Ninety four percent voting was recorded in the Kalaria village till 14.30 hrs. There are 571 voters in the village and 537 out of them have exercised their franchise.
 

Input by Rajneesh Sethi/101Reporters

Shivraj expresses grief at the death of poll officials

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expresses grief at the death of the two polling officials on election duty. 

विधानसभा चुनाव की ड्यूटी के दौरान अधिकारियों की मृत्यु की खबर से मन दुखी है। दिवंगत आत्माओं को सादर श्रद्धांजलि। पीड़ित परिवारों के प्रति शोक संवेदनाएं प्रकट करता हूं। पीड़ा की इस घड़ी में हम सभी आपके साथ हैं।

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 28, 2018

Three generations of a family cast their vote in Sanwer 

37.16% votes polled till 2.30 pm; Kamal Nath’s Chhindwara sees highest turnout

A total of 37.26 percent were polled in Madhya Pradesh till 2.30 pm. Kamal Nath’s home district Chhindwara saw the maximum turnout with 45.62 percent votes polled, while Morena was the district with the lowest voting percentage at just 29.78 percent turnout.

Congress polling agent shot at in Mehgaon
 

Pradeep Singh Bhadauria, polling agent of the Congress candidate in Mehgaon Assembly constituency, was shot at and is reportedly seriously injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Gwalior, Hindustan Times reported.

Name of Congress supporters ‘missing’ from voters’ list in Bhopal North constituency 

Congress workers claimed that name of hundreds of voters is missing from the voters’ list at booth no. 278 in ward number 30 of Bhopal North constituency. All these people reportedly belong to Congress and they allege that the local BJP MLA has hatched a conspiracy. 

Input bY Kashif Kakvi, 101Reporters

Congress leader Kamal Nath courts controversy for ‘revealing’ his vote, says I only showed my palm 

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath found himself surrounded in controversy after he flashed his party’s election symbol (palm) to media after casting his vote.

“I had already cast my vote. When people asked me when those from media asked me whom I have voted for I showed this (palm). What else could have I done?Show a lotus?” Kamal Nath, said on allegations that he showed his election symbol after casting his vote in Chhindwara.

BJP’s sole Muslim candidate, Fatima Siddiqui from Bhopal North, cast her vote. 
 

Input by Kashif Kakvi/101Reporters

Madhya Pradesh records 47.29% voting till 1.30 pm

Up till 1.30 pm, a total of 31.33 percent voters have cast their votes in the Madhya Pradesh elections with over 1.58 crore votes polled. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Anuppur 47.29%, while Dindori recorded the lowest turnout with just 20.77 percent coming out to cast their vote. 

Input by Karishma K

Violence, vandalism mar election process in Bhind district 

Incidences of violence have been report from Bhind district today. Gunshots were fired in front of two polling booths. Sources said that the assailants have fled the spot and the firing was done with the intention of disrupting the polling exercise.

The district is located in the Gwalior-Chambal region. The region is expected to witness tense contest between BJP and Congress. The region has a total of 34 seats.

In 2013, BJP had won 20 seats in the region followed by 12 by the Congress. The BSP had managed to win two seats here.

With inputs from Tezpal Singh/101Reporters

CEC says local officers to take call on extending poll time 

Responding to Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s demand to extend polling time in booths where EVM malfunction thwarted voting, Chief election Commissioner OP Rawat said that there are provisions for extension of time in the law, and the local officers can take a call on it. 

Scindia had written to Rawat seeking an extension in polling time, stating that no voter should be left out because the Electronic Voting machines were not in order. 

CEC O P Rawat on Jyotiraditya Scindia's request to EC to extend polling time due to EVM malfunction: There are provisions for the extension of time, the local officers can take the call as they see fit. The matter does not need to be handled by the commission. pic.twitter.com/OznJsAKzcJ

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

35 visually impaired women voters have voted in Indore-5 constituency

Thirty five visually impaired woman came out to exercise their franchise in Indore-5 constituency. 

Congress says EVM malfunctioning affected party strongholds, demands re-poll

As Reports of EVM snags continue to filter in, Congress leader Kamal Nath alleged that the voting seems to be getting affected only in regions which were Congress’ stronghold. While Nath said that the poll panel should consider holding re-polls if the polling cannot continue in an uninterrupted fair way, his party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia demanded that polling time be extended to compensate for the lost time.

Jyotiraditya Scindia demands extension of time in booths where EVM malfunction halted voting 

“There have been many complaints of EVM’s malfunctioning, have written to Election Commission. We have requested that voting time in these polling booths should be extended to compensate for the delay in polling.

Local business establishments offer discounts to encourage voters 

Satish Chouhan runs a barber shop in Indore. He is offering free services to customers who have voted today. When asked about how he would cover up losses, he says that his primary goal is the betterment of the nation, and if through this small gesture he could motivate more voters, he would be a good citizen. Voters need to only show their inked fingers, and they would get a free shave.

A restaurant in Bhopal too was seen offering a 10 percent discount to customers who have voted. 

Farmer-dominated Mandsaur sees high voter turnout till noon

Political pundits decipher a good voter turnout as either a sign of a favourable wave for one of the contesting parties, or conversely it reflects strong anti-incumbency sentiment. In Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 33.23 percent turnout till noon, the latter seems to be the case rather than the former, given the place’s history. Mandsaur was the epicentre of agrarian protests last year which resulted in the deaths of six farmers in police action. And while these deaths, including four from the dominant Patidar community in the area, remains a sore point, the falling prices of crops have only added to farmer woes..

22% voting recorded till 12 pm 

The Madhya Pradeh elections say around 22 percent voter turnout till 12 pm today. Highest voter turnout of 34.68 percent was reported in Agar Malwa district and lowest turnout of 14.56 percent was recorded in Rewa district

Over 250 EVMs replaced so far; Opposition cries foul 

Reports of EVM snags continue to filter in. According to latest reports, at least 250 EVMs and several more VVPATs have been replaced so far. Polling remained halted at several booths for hours, owing to these technical glitches.

Meanwhile, Congress party raised questions over these issues. Party’s state president Kamal Nath said that the glitches were thwarting the polling process.

Several villages boycott elections over basic demads

In Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, voters in Vicharpura village have boycotted the elections due to lack of availability of basic facilities like water and road infrastructure. Voters in Madai village in Satna district had also boycotted the polls over the unavailability of schools in the village.

EC announces Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to family of poll officials who died of cardiac arrest on duty

#Update Election Commission announces Rs 10 lakh each compensation for the kin of the EC officials who passed away while on election duty #MadhyaPradeshElections https://t.co/7Qv1XJvwIS

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

Congress’ internal data team predicts party’s slim lead over BJP, say reports 

Most opinion polls have suggested a lead, albeit a very narrow one, for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. However, Shashank Shukla, the national coordinator for the Congress data analytics team supervising the party’s campaign in Madhya Pradesh told  NDTV  that the party has edged past the BJP. Shukla said that the Congress was in a lead by 2.8 percent. 

Althoiugh he conceded that this could be within the margin of error, but added that the Congress’ lead will “go over 5 percent”.

BJP faces ire of Patidar voters, as local community leaders vow to overthrow govt 

Madhya Pradesh has the second largest population of Patidars after Gujarat, with nearly 60 lakh voters belonging to the community, out of which 40 lakh are from the Malwa region itself. Also, out of the 230 seats in contention, the fate of around 34 would be predominantly decided by a majority of Patidar voters present in these constituencies.

Ambalal Patidar, Gopal Patidar, farmers in Mandsaur blame the current government for the problems farmers face in MP. They hold the current government responsible for the police excesses on protesting farmers last year in Mandsaur and state that they want to overthrow the government. 
 

With inputs from Kashif Kakvi/101Reporters

In Bhind, rival candidates detained together, say reports

Reports said that around 10 candidates, from five seats in the senistive Bhind district were detained together in view of maintaining the law and order situation. Sources say this move has been put in place as a precautionary measure as Bhind remains a sensitive region prone to political violence during election season, reports said.

The police had earlier, detained BJP and Congress candidates from Ater in Bhind, Arvind Singh Bhadauriya (BJP) and Hemant Katare (Congress), to prevent any kind of untoward situation. They have been kept at the circuit house.

MP minister caught with Rs 10 lakh in car, Congress alleges ‘cash-for-vote’

State minister and senior BJP leader Devraj Singh Parihar was caught carrying approximately Rs 10 lakh in his car which the Congress alleges was meant for ‘cash for vote’, ABP News reported. Parihar is managing BJP MLA Rajesh Sonkar’s electoral campaign in Sanwer Assembly seat. The matter was reported to the police by Congress workers who reportedly waylaid Parihar’s vehicle to catch him ‘red handed’ with the notes.

After the initial probe, allowed Parihar to leave. This angered Congress workers who then blocked roads and staged protests against BJP’s ‘corrupt tactics’ to lure voters with money and violating the rules set by the Election Commission. They alleged the police was colluding with Parihar and letting him go without facing any action. There were reports of angry farmers also holding a separate protest over the incident.

In Bhind, 10 candidates put under house arrest, say reports

Around 10 candidates, including those of Congress and the BJP in five seats of Bhind district have been put under house arrest. Sources say this move has been put in place as a precautionary measure as Bhind remains a sensitive region prone to political violence during election season, reports said.

The police had earlier, detained BJP and Congress candidates from Ater in Bhind, Arvind Singh Bhadauriya (BJP) and Hemant Katare (Congress), to prevent any kind of untoward situation. They have been kept at the circuit house.

Kamal Nath raises questions over malfunctioning EVMs

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath said he has received reports of long queues at MP polling booths due to faulty EVMs. He said that these technical glitches are stalling the polling process and the Election Commission should immediately take action on this.  

प्रदेश भर से बड़ी संख्या में ईवीएम मशीन ख़राब व बंद की जानकारी सामने आ रही है...
इससे मतदान प्रभावित हो रहा है....मतदान केंद्रो पर लम्बी लाइनें लग गयी है...इतनी बड़ी गड़बड़ी केसे ?
चुनाव आयोग अविलंब इस पर निर्णय ले...तत्काल बंद मशीनो को बदले...

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) November 28, 2018

Faulty EVMs continue to irk voters in parts of state 

Reports of EVM malfunctioning have been filtering in consistently. In some places, like in Tilak Nagar polling booth in Indore-5 constituency, the polling remained halted for over two hours due to EVM malfunction. 

Meanwhile, two faulty EVMs in Ujjain, 11 VVPAT machines in Alirajpur, 5 VVPAT and 2 EVMs in Burhanpur also had to be replaced. The voting process was halted for about 40 minutes at booth number 96 in Harda due to a technical glitch in the EVM, while it remained affected for about an hour at polling booth number 168.

In Satna’s Madai village, voters boycott polling demanding schools for children

Voters have boycotted polling in Madai village in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district over the unavailability of schools in the village.

Police seizes campaign material from BJP’s polling agent in Bhopal 

The Madhya Pradesh Police has seizes campaign material from BJP’s polling agents in Saint Mary’s area in Bhopal as it was within 200 meters of a polling booth. The police also detained one person following the incident.

One EC official, one govt dies on duty after taking ill

Sohan Lal Batham, an Election Commission official, died due to cardiac arrest in Guna. Following this, reports came that another government employee at polling duty in Mhow also passed away after he took ill while on duty.

Kailash Patel, a teacher at Utkrisht Vidyalay, Mhow who was deployed at Deepika Bal Mandir in Nehru Nagar in Indore-5 constituency suffered an attack at 6:50 am. He was rushed to Shalby hospital where he was declared dead. The collector announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased. 

By Vijit Rao and Karishma K

Police detains BJP, Congress candidates from Ater in Bhind following clashes 

The police have detained BJP and Congress candidates from Ater in Bhind, Arvind Singh Bhadauriya (BJP) and Hemant Katare (Congress), to prevent any kind of untoward situation. They have been kept at the circuit house.

By Pankaj Gupta, 101Reporters.

Don’t vote for individuals, poll for better future of MP, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan 

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan exuded confidence that the Bharatiya janata Party will return to power in for the fourth consecutuve term.

“We’re 100 percent certain that the BJP will form government with an absolute majority. We have set a target of 200 seats and our lakhs of volunteers are working to make it a reality,” Chouhan said after casting his vote in Budhni.  

Polling, Shivraj Chouhan said, will determine the future of MP and its future generations. “Your vote today will help the farmers and the poor. This vote is not for an individual but for the whole of Madhya Pradesh,” he said. 

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar casts vote, urges voters to strengthen Modi’s hands 

Speaking to reporters outside the polling booth in Gwalior, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that he was confident that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be blessed with a consecutive fourth term. Tomar urged the voters to support the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and further strengthen the party. 

Elaborate arrangements made to conduct peaceful voting in sensitive seats 

According to State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) VL Kantha Rao, out of the 65,341 polling stations across MP, 17,000 have been declared ‘sensitive’ and additional vigil will be maintained there. As many as 1.80 lakh security personnel, including those drawn from central paramilitary forces, have been deployed to ensure free and fair poll, Rao said. He said 78,870 EVMs will be used during the poll.

“Special measures have been taken for sensitive booths. Webcasting will be held from 6,500 polling stations, while videography will be carried out at 4,600 booths,” he said.

EC sets up Pink voting booths in Narsinghpur to encourage women voters

Voting picks up in Naxal-hit constituencies, people queue up to exercise franchise 

Borgaon polling booth in the Naxal-infested village in Balaghat saw an encouraging turnout early in the morning. Women were also seen turning up in large numbers. Reports said that polling was peacefully underway in two other Nacal-hit constituencies. 

By Hiten Chauhan, 101Reporters

First time voters queue up to cast vote with job security in mind 

The only issue that consume young voters in Madhya Pradesh is lack of employment opportunities in mind. More than 19 per cent of Madhya Pradesh’s 70 million population is in the job-seeking age group of 15-24 years, according to the 2011 census. As we spoke to some of the first time voters who had queued up to exercise their franchise, job security was the predominant theme, with little to no exception. Here is what Seema Patidar, a first time voter from Neemuch had to say. 

Watch: Madhya Pradesh Election Commissioner VL Kantha Rao on EVM malfunctioning in Char Imli.

Input by Karishma K

EVM snags reported at some seats in Madhya Pradesh 

The Electronic Voting Machines have reportedly developed technical snag at a few places. The polling at booth number 204 Mahirishi Vidya Mandir in Mandla was halted after the polling machine stopped working. ANI reported that another voting machine at polling booth number 178 at Dabra seat in,Gwalior district was also not working.

With inputs fro, Chandresh Khare/101Reporters

Heavy security deployed in state as Madhya Pradesh elects new Assembly

The Centre and state governments have made elaborate secrity arrangements for the peaceful culmination of the polling process. 

• 11,900 jawans from Central police force deployed.
• Over 41,000 vehicles to be used today.
• Webcasting to be conducted in 6,500 centers.
• 12,000 people are on webcasting duty.

There are a total of 5,03,94,086 eligible voters in MP, with approximately 2,40,76,693 female voters and 1,410 transgender person voters. 65,367 polling booths have been set up, with special pink booths designated to encourage women voters. Around 3,046 booths will be secured by an all-women’s force.

Input by Karishma K

ADR report says 11% candidates have serious cases against them; total 17% face criminal charges 

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO that works for electoral and political reforms, and Madhya Pradesh Election Watch have said in a report that 464 candidates (or 17 percent) of those in the fray have declared criminal cases against them and 295 (or 11 percent) of the total candidates have been charged with serious criminal cases. 

In 2013, this number stood at 407 or 16 percent out of 2,494 candidates, and 263 or 11 percent nominees had a record of serious criminal cases.

Voters show enthusiasm in three Naxal-hit seats, long queues seen outside polling booths

In Paraswada seat in Balaghat district, a good number of people have turned up to vote. Polling picked up early in these parts, where voting started at 7 am, an hour before the rest of the state.

By Hiten Chauhan, 101Reporters

Another Congress candidate prayed at a Ganapati temple before casting vote 

Congress Candidate from Indore 1 constituency Sanjay Shukla visited a temple and conducted a Ganesh Pooja before exercising his franchise. 
 

Image by Karishma K

Women voters show enthusiasm. line up to cast an early vote in Neemuch 

Large number of women voters have turned up to vote at the Awan Palsoda polling booth in Neemuch district. These women are farmers and will return to their fields after voting. 

By Vijit Rao Madhik

From prayers at temple, rivers banks to candidates seeking blessings of their mothers, on polling day candidates turn to religion 

As polling kick started in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was seen praying at the banks of Saryu river with his wife Sadhna Singh. Meanwhile, Congress’ Kamal Nath was seen praying at the Hanuman temple in Chhindwara. Both parties have high-stakes in the state polls. Another Congress candidate from Rau constituency Jitu Patwari went to seek his mother’s blessings, as he stepped out to cast his vote early morning. His mother conducted an Aarti before she let him step out of his house. 

Vidio by K Kotwal, 101Reporters

Voters que up to exercise franchise in Neemuch 

Voters were seen queuing up to exercise their franchise since early morning. This picture was taken at a ward in Neemuch district. 

Image by Vijit Rao Madhik

Congress leader Kamal Nath seen offering prayers at Hanuman temple in Chhattisgarh 

Congress leader Kamal Nath offers prayers at a Hanuman temple in Chhindwara #MadhyaPradeshElections2018 pic.twitter.com/tjdOwNrwtJ

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

As polling begins, Shivraj prays on the bank of Saryu river, Congress leader Kamal Nath offers prayers at Hanuman temple in Chhindwara

As polling kick started in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was seen praying at the banks of Saryu river with his wife Sadhna Singh. Meanwhile, Congress’ Kamal Nath was seen praying at the Hanuman temple in Chhindwara. Both parties have high-stakes in the state polls. While Shivraj seeks a fourth consecutive term, a victory for Congress would mean it can negotiate from a better position while forging a mahagathbandhan ahead of 2019 polls. 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan prays on the banks of Narmada river, in Budhni. Voting in the state is underway. #MadhyaPradeshElections2018 pic.twitter.com/Hh9hjNds8Y

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

Polling begins in remaining 227 constituencies 

Voting in 227 out of the 230 constituencies began at 8 am. The polling was started one hour early at three naxal-hit seats in Balaghat district. The polling will conclude at 4 pm. 

Recap: On poll-eve, BJP played a mean trick on Congress, tweeted undated video of Manmohan Singh praising Shivraj govt

The day before the people of Madhya Pradesh cast their votes in the state Vidhan Sabha polls, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted a seven-second video of former prime minister Manmohan Singh purportedly praising the BJP state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

However, this tweet attempting to blunt the Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the two state governments seems mischievous because Malviya provided no context for the video. The tweet neither mentioned the date when the video was shot nor did it explain the context in which Manmohan said, “The governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were very good.”

In fact, apart from this one line in the video—which lasts for all of seven seconds— nothing else is clear. It is not even clear whether Manmohan was referring to the current Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments or some erstwhile regimes.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh contradicts Rahul Gandhi, says governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were ‘very good’... Waters down everything Congress President has been saying over the last few days! pic.twitter.com/cLqCL0al7q

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) November 27, 2018

1.80 Lakh security personnel deployed for Madhya Pradesh election 

Madhya Pradesh is all set to vote on Wednesday to elect a 230-member assembly, with 1.80 lakh security personnel deployed on duty to ensure peaceful polling in the state.

Here’s a fun quiz on the Madhya Pradesh’s electoral history

Did you know Nagpur was the first capital city of Madhya Pradesh? Jog your memory with this really really difficult quiz on Madhya Pradesh and its history. Attempt the quiz here .

Polling officials gear up for polling process in 227 Assembly seats

Polling for 227 of the 230 seats up for grabs in Madhya Pradesh will begin at 8 am, while the voting at three naxal-hit states are already underway. 

Visuals from a polling station in Bhopal. Polling for 227 constituencies in the state will begin at 8 am, while voting for 3 constituencies has already begun. #MadhyaPradeshElections2018 pic.twitter.com/RnjsoctPbV

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

Polling in three naxal-hit constituencies begin at 7.00 am

The voting has begun for Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections in three Assembly segments in Naxal-affected Balaghat district — Lanji, Paraswada and Baihar. The voting time will be from 7 am to 3 pm.

…. While Shivraj Singh Chouhan enjoys outing with family

After weeks of hectic campaigning for Wednesday’s Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chose to unwind by having a cup

of coffee and snack along with his family members at an eatery in Bhopal. Chouhan has been crisscrossing the state along with others leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, for the past many days to ensure that his party retains power in the state.

As the campaign schedule kept him occupied over the last many days, he decided to visit a coffee house at TT Nagar along with his wife Sadhana and son Kartikey on the eve of the crucial election. The trio ordered vada sambar and coffee and spent over an hour there. “They visited the coffee house in the evening and spent more than an hour. Like common people, they chatted and laughed and enjoyed hot ‘vada sambar’ and steaming coffee,” manager of the coffee house Kumaran told PTI. The chief minister paid a bill of Rs 300, he added.

However, as soon as the media got a whiff of Chouhan’s presence at the eatery, journalists rushed to the spot. Talking to reporters later, he said he was confident that the BJP would come to power for the fourth consecutive time. Just like this time, even on the eve of the 2013 Assembly polls, Chouhan had visited the famous New Market area in the state capital with his family to feast on ‘pani puri’, one of his acquaintances said.

Ahead of polls, Rahul Gandhi pens open letter for voters

On the eve of polling, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has, in an open letter to the people of Madhya Pradesh, made a fervent appeal to them to support his party to help provide good governance in the central state.

Gandhi alleged that Madhya Pradesh in the last 10-15 years is known across the country more for firing upon farmers asking for their rights, the crime against women, various scams like Vyapam and Bundelkhand package scam, rising unemployment, sand mafia and for usurping rights of tribals. “Amid all these disappointments, a new hope among the people of Madhya Pradesh has arisen because of the Congress’ promises to them. “Our promise of trust ensures that farmers’ loans would be waived, electricity bills would be halved, women will get justice, the industry would flourish, youth will get permanent jobs and tribals and the poor will look ahead with hope,” he said in the letter. Gandhi said he believes that bringing farmers out of debt would mean boosting the economy. “If the farmer is prosperous, then the economy will be back on track,” he said.

Listing some other promises made by the Congress in its manifesto for Madhya Pradesh, the Congress chief said while granting a farm loan waiver, the party would also guarantee remunerative prices for farm produce and bring the power bills down to half. He said the Congress will provide assistance to every girl child in Madhya Pradesh, including free education from school to PhD and Rs 51,000 for their marriage. Besides, the party will fulfil the dream of the poor of getting their own house, he said. The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP which has been in power in the state for the last 15 years.