In high turnout in MP, Congress sees vote for change like in 2003, BJP says RSS mobilised more voters

NEW DELHI: The poll percentage in Madhya Pradesh is expected to settle around 76%, an almost 3.5% increase from 2013, triggering claims from the Congress that this is a strong anti-incumbency vote like 2003 when the Digvijaya Singh government had gone out of power in MP. But the BJP believes the voter mobilisation by RSS has contributed to the big turnout.
EC has put the provisional figure at 74.85%, saying the final figure could rise to 76% by Friday evening. The polling turnout in 2013 was 72.13%.

The Congress camp is seeing the turnout jump to be reminiscent of the 2003 elections when polling percentage rose by almost 7% and Digvijaya Singh was unseated as the Chief Minister amidst strong anti-incumbency for his 10-year-long government. Congress is also pointing out increased voting in MP’s rural areas as a good sign given that farmer distress was a major poll plank of the party this time. “The increased polling shows it is a vote for change and one against the BJP,” Congress campaign committee chief, Jyotiraditya Scindia told ET. Kamal Nath, the state party president and a front-runner for the Chief Minister post, added: “Polling aur BJP – Madhya Pradesh mein donon shanti se nipat gaye hain (Polling and BJP have both passed out peacefully in MP). We are coming to power now”.

BJP’s national vice-president, Prabhat Jha, who handled the campaign closely for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, however said that even in 2013, the polling percentage had gone up by almost 3.5%, similar to the increase this time. “BJP had then increased its seats from 142 to 165 and returned to power. I think Congress without any reason is seeing a victory in these polling percentages. It (increased polling) is no danger sign for the BJP,” Jha told ET. He said polling percentage had increased in Malwa and Central regions which were a BJP stronghold, especially districts like Ujjain, Indore and Bhopal. “The voter had no Grihna (hate) for Shivraj Singh Chouhan and no lagav (love) for Kamal Nath. We will win most seats in Mandsaur too despite Congress raking up the farmer issue,” Jha added.

Other senior BJP leaders said the RSS had carried out massive voter mobilisation in the last 10 days of the campaign, which contributed to the increased number of voters coming out. “BJP had itself placed front page advertisements in all newspapers on Wednesday appealing for at least 90% voting in MP,” a BJP leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. This, they say, reflects in polling percentage increasing in Indore district to 71.44% from 70.61% (in 2013), in Ujjain to 76.61% from 74.93%, in Bhopal to 65.4% from 63.89%, in Dhar to 77.11% from 71.95%, in Sehore to 84.19% from 80.19% and in Mandsour district to 81.29% from 79.78%.

However, Congress points to higher voting in its strongholds like Gwalior, Guna and Chhindwara districts which are bastions of its leaders like Scindia and Kamal Nath, saying this is the harbinger of change. Polling percentage in Scindia’s Guna has increased to 76.19% from 73.56% in 2013 and in Kamal Nath’s Chhindwara to 83.76% from 81.09%. BJP’s former Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh, Babu Lal Gaur was also reported to be congratulating a Congress candidate on Thursday, telling him that a Congress government was coming to power in the state. BJP leaders however say the overall scenario is in their favour. “The women voter has also come out in bigger numbers this time, with percentage of woman voters increasing from 70.11% last time to 73.86% this time. Women voters in the state have generally backed Shivraj Singh Chouhan given his image of Mama and his schemes for girl child,” a BJP leader said.