Madhya Pradesh election results: Who are the key players in the big battle?
A total of 2,907 candidates are in the fray to test their luck and political acumen in the state of Madhya Pradesh that went to polls on November 28, to elect candidates for its 230-member Assembly.
The Election Commission has made elaborate preparations to ensure the 5,04,95,251 registered voters of the state can exercise their franchise smoothly.
Over 11,000 new polling booths have been set up in Madhya Pradesh, the maximum among the five states having Assembly polls, as part of the efforts to ensure a high voter turnout.
So who are the key players in the high-octane electoral battle?
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Chouhan, who has already become the longest-serving chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, is slugging it out for a fourth straight term from his home turf Budhni.
Chouhan took over as chief minister in 2005 and has since occupied the chair.
The BJP leader can claim a strong public connect. A slew of welfare measures announced in the run-up to the election may work to his advantage.
However, Chouhan also faces high anti-incumbency and the taint of the Vyapam scam. Also, the sluggish job growth may hit Chouhan hard.
Kamal Nath
Nath was appointed president of the state unit in April. He has been a nine-time member of Parliament from Chhindwara.
The only time he lost Chhindwara since 1980 was in 1997, when he lost a bypoll to Sunderlal Patwa.
While Nath is not contesting the polls, he is in the race for the chief minister’s chair should the Congress make a comeback in the state.
While experience is valued by the party, what actually works against Nath is that he lacks a pro-poor image.
Jyotiraditya Scindia
The four-time Madhya Pradesh MP, represents Guna. He is chairman of the MP Congress campaign committee.
Scindia enjoys an edge over Kamal Nath in his ability to connect with the youth, which forms 44 per cent of the voters. His royalty and legacy from father Madhavrao Scindia also works for him by way of adding to his appeal in front of the voters.
His drawback, however, lies in his rivalry with veteran MP leader Digvijaya Singh.