Assembly election results: Top trends in 4 states

As Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana get set for new governments, the BJP appears to have gotten a definite thumbs up. Retaining Madhya Pradesh, bagging Rajasthan and leading in Chhattisgarh gives Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party a clear psychological edge over rival Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc in 2024, though there is no direct correlation between assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

For the Congress, getting a majority in Telangana, which has been ruled by the BRS in all the nine-and-a-half years of its existence, is certainly a triumph. It also gives it a stronger grip in the South, possibly with greater bargaining power for seats in the Lok Sabha elections with allies such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Here is a rundown on the state-wise trends of the election results:

Chattisgarh:

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had seen the central agencies knocking at the doors of some of his close aides in the Mahadev betting app scam. Shubham Soni, the main accused in the scam had alleged that Baghel had received Rs 508 from the promoters of the gaming app Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. When the Enforcement Directorate went hammer and tongs after his aides, Baghel challenged the BJP-led Union government, asking why it had not made arrests in the case.

According to the information provided by the Election Commission of India on its website, both the BJP and the Congress are running shoulder to shoulder in the early trends, with the saffron party leading in 48 seats out of 90 seats. The grand old party is trailing behind leading in 40 seats.

HMR and CPI each are leading in one constituency.

Madhya Pradesh:

The state had all the ingredients of a high-octane electoral contest, with several central leaders of the BJP, including PM Modi, making a dash for the state. Although it has been ruled by the saffron party under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for many consecutive terms, barring a brief break in 2018, it showed the party was not on a sure footing in the state.

Out of 230 seats, the BJP is leading in 149, with the Congress trailing far behind with a lead in just 77 seats.

Rajasthan:

It is a do-or-die battle for both Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his party. The BJP, riding on the anti-incumbency factor, has emerged as a challenger to the Congress and is leading in 116 constituencies out of 199 seats. The Congress is leading in 67 seats, while independents are leading in 8, BSP in 3 and an Adivasi outfit in 3 seats.

Telangana:

The BRS seems to be losing ground to the Congress which has promised to extend six guarantees, replicating its Karnataka model, to win the popular vote.

Out of 119 assembly constituencies, here the Congress is leading in 70 seats, while KCR’s BRS is showing a lead only in 37 seats. The BJP is trailing far behind with a lead in 8 constituencies. The AIMIM is leading in three.