As counting begins in four states for the assembly polls held last month, both the Congress and BJP are confident of putting up a show of strength in what is viewed as a semi-final contest ahead of the general elections in less than six months.
Starting with postal ballots, counting commenced at 8 am on Sunday amid tight security for 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 90 seats in Chhattisgarh, 119 seats in Telangana and 199 seats in Rajasthan. Polling on one seat in the desert state was put off due to the death of a candidate. In Mizoram, counting will be held on Monday.
The fight is prominently between the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh while the Congress takes on K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana.
Congress leaders on Saturday expressed hope that it would win all four states. "I am certain that we (Congress) will form a government in four states, including Rajasthan, and in Mizoram, a combined government will be established," Congress leader Promod Tiwari said on the eve of counting of votes.
The results will also have a crucial impact on the opposition bloc INDIA, considering the seat-sharing talks are set to begin soon. The grand old party is set to have deliberately delayed the seat-sharing talks as it wants more bargaining power in seat-sharing. The Congress is expected to make gains in these elections, with exit polls predicting the party to be ahead in Chhattisgarh and Telangana and a tight race in Madhya Pradesh.
The exit polls predict Congress to come to power in Chhattisgarh and Telangana. If Congress can retain Rajasthan too, it will be a major morale booster for the party.
As for the BJP, the party has high hopes of retaining Madhya Pradesh and wresting Rajasthan from Congress. It is very vocal about returning to power in Chhattisgarh too. "The face of the Congress has been exposed. Only the results are to come tomorrow. The good governance that the public wanted will be found under the BJP government," Union minister Anurag Thakur said in Jaipur, adding that the people want the "double-engine" government of the BJP.
Tight security
A three-tier security arrangement has been put in place and only people holding valid passes will be allowed to enter the counting centres, election officials said.
In Rajasthan, the counting will be done at 36 centres in the state on Sunday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Praveen Gupta said. As many as 979 tables have been arranged for the counting of ballot papers across the state. Strong rooms will be opened in the presence of observers, candidates and their representatives.
