Assembly Election Results: BJP wins big in Hindi heartland; PM thanks 'Janta Janardan'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi acknowledged the electoral verdict in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, expressing gratitude to the people of Telangana. In a post on X, he stated, "We graciously accept the mandate of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, and the ideological struggle will persist. I extend my sincere thanks to the people of Telangana, assuring them that we will fulfill our commitment to the progress of Telangana. A heartfelt appreciation to all the dedicated workers for their tireless efforts and support."

PM Narendra Modi posts on X, "We bow to the Janta Janardan. The results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan indicate that the people of India are firmly with politics of good governance and development, which the BJP stands for. I thank the people of these states for their unwavering support and assure them that we will keep working tirelessly for their well-being. A special thanks to the hardworking Party Karyakartas. Each of them is exemplary! They have worked tirelessly and highlighted our development agenda among the people."

जनता-जनार्दन को नमन!

मध्य प्रदेश, राजस्थान और छत्तीसगढ़ के चुनाव परिणाम बता रहे हैं कि भारत की जनता का भरोसा सिर्फ और सिर्फ सुशासन और विकास की राजनीति में है, उनका भरोसा @BJP4India में है।

भाजपा पर अपना स्नेह, विश्वास और आशीर्वाद बरसाने के लिए मैं इन सभी राज्यों के परिवारजनों…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 3, 2023

Ashok Gehlot on X: "We humbly accept the mandate given by the people of Rajasthan. This is an unexpected result for everyone. This defeat shows that we were not completely successful in taking our plans, laws and innovations to the public. I wish the new government all the best. My advice to them is that despite working hard, we were not successful, but it does not mean that they should not work after coming to the government. All the schemes and the pace of development that we have given to Rajasthan in these five years should be taken forward. I thank all the Congress workers who worked hard in this election and express my gratitude to all the voters who believed in us."

राजस्थान की जनता द्वारा दिए गए जनादेश को हम विनम्रतापूर्वक स्वीकार करते हैं। यह सभी के लिए एक अप्रत्याशित परिणाम है। यह हार दिखाती है कि हम अपनी योजनाओं, कानूनों और नवाचारों को जनता तक पहुंचाने में पूरी तरह कामयाब नहीं रहे।

मैं नई सरकार को शुभकामनाएं देता हूं। मेरी उनको सलाह है…

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 3, 2023

KCR concedes defeat in Telangana. "We respect the people's mandate," the Bharat Rashtra Samithi said. 

'Ek akela kitno pe bhaari pad raha hai...' Video of PM Modi goes viral after BJP sweeps elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh

देश देख रहा है कि एक अकेला कितनों पर भारी पड़ रहा है...

- मा. प्रधानसेवक @narendramodi जी pic.twitter.com/VNv9iVz8pJ

— Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) December 3, 2023

BJP will celebrate its victory in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in a grand way.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach the BJP headquarters in New Delhi at 6:30

मध्यप्रदेश में भाजपा की यह शानदार विजय आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के प्रति असीम श्रद्धा और अकाट्य विश्वास तथा उन्होंने जो यहाँ सभाएं की और जनता से अपील की, वह जनता के दिलों को छू गयी और उसी के कारण यह परिणाम आ रहे हैं।

डबल इंजन की सरकार, दिल्ली में प्रधानमंत्री जी… pic.twitter.com/V3V9o68yWX

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) December 3, 2023

The Congress party faced significant setbacks in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, with indications suggesting potential losses to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite expectations of anti-incumbency working in its favour in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress failed to make a substantial impact. The party's notable success was in destabilizing the government led by K Chandrashekhar Rao. Vote share percentages indicate the BJP's gains in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, while both Congress and BJP experienced changes in vote share in Rajasthan.

Read further HERE

Massive turnaround is being witnessed in Chhattisgarh where BJP has now surged ahead of the Congress and, as per trends, past the half-way mark.

Rajasthan counting: Sachin Pilot is currently in the lead in Tonk, while Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje are also ahead in their respective constituencies.

The Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, has convened a meeting with INDIA partners in Delhi scheduled for December 6.

Trends at 10:30 am

Rajasthan: BJP workers are celebrating at the party office in Jaipur as the party crosses the halfway mark in Rajasthan. 

Madhya Pradesh: BJP leading in 160 of 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, Congress ahead in 56 as per trend

Telangana: Massive setback for KCR, who had been projecting himself on the national stage. The Congress has crossed the halfway mark in the state.

Chhattisgarh: Congress edges past BJP in close fight 

Trends at 10 am

Rajasthan: Massive setback for the Congress as BJP nears half-way mark 

Madhya Pradesh: BJP comfortably ahead of the Congress

Telangana: Congress takes strong lead over KCR's BRS

Chhattisgarh: BJP edges past Congress
 

 Trends at 9:25 am

Rajasthan: BJP ahead of Congress with a difference of 2 seats

Madhya Pradesh: BJP crosses half-way mark in initial trends

Telangana: Congress crosses half-way mark in initial trends

Chhattisgarh: Congress races ahead of BJP

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asserts, "From day 1, I have been emphasizing that the progress witnessed in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan ensures our confidence that the people will favour the BJP, and we will establish a government with a decisive majority."

#ElectionResults | Counting of votes underway in Jodhpur, Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/4BAgKr2ltd

— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 3, 2023

Rajasthan: BJP and Congress in neck-to-neck fight

Madhya Pradesh: BJP ahead in close fight with Congress 

Telangana: Congress ahead of KCR's BRS 

Chhattisgarh: Congress and BJP in close batte 
 

Early Trends

* Sachin Pilot leads from the Tonk constituency in Rajasthan

* Ashok Gehlot leads from the Sardarpura constituency in Rajasthan

* KCR Trailing From Gajwel Constituency in Telangana

* T Raja Singh Trailing From Goshamahal Constituency in Telangana

Rajasthan: Congress takes slender lead over BJP 

Madhya Pradesh: Congress ahead in close fight with BJP 

Telangana: TRS takes massive lead over Congress

Chhattisgarh: Congress takes comfortable lead over BJP

Former Chhattisgarh CM Dr Raman Singh predicts, 'The lotus is about to bloom'

अंधेरा छँट गया है, सूरज निकल चुका है, कमल खिलने जा रहा है।

सभी कार्यकर्ता साथी इस काउंटिंग की प्रक्रिया से जुड़े रहें क्योंकि बहुत जल्द #भाजपा_आवत_हे

— Dr Raman Singh (@drramansingh) December 3, 2023

Congress leader Pawan Khera says, "The outcomes will surpass our hopes and expectations. We are poised to maintain power in both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Madhya Pradesh, we anticipate regaining power, and in Telangana, we aim to secure power."

"I have said it before and I will say it again, we will win more than 130 seats (in Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls)," says Congress leader Digvijaya Singh

Chhattisgarh's current Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel, posts on Twitter, "Today marks the expression of the people's will..."

आज जनादेश का दिन है.

जनता जनार्दन को प्रणाम.

सभी प्रत्याशियों को शुभकामनाएँ.

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) December 3, 2023

Reports coming in say that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a Zoom meeting with party leaders from Telangana. Congress party's Telangana incharge DK Shivakumar attended the meeting along with leaders like Revanth Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Sources said, all Congress candidates are instructed not to wait for the result but reach Hyderabad early in the morning. 

In case of a hung assembly, the MLAs will be kept together under the leadership of DK Shivakumar, or shifted to Bengaluru. There is also information that resorts are ready in Bengaluru's Devanahalli.

Counting of votes underway in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. 

In Rajasthan, the outcomes of the polls are poised to have significant implications for both Congress leader and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his predecessor Vasundhara Raje of the BJP. Gehlot relies on his government's welfare initiatives to break the nearly three-decade trend of the ruling party being voted out in every election in the western state. A potential loss may prompt the Congress to explore options beyond the three-time chief minister, an OBC leader whose relations with his party leadership have been strained. Raje's future, on the other hand, hinges on the BJP's performance.

Political analysts speculate that if the BJP secures a substantial victory, its leadership may consider alternative chief ministerial candidates in the state. However, any other result could limit their choices and enhance Raje's prospects.

The electoral performance of several BJP leaders, including Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Prahlad Singh Patel, as well as 18 other MPs, in the constituencies they are contesting and their areas of influence will significantly impact their political futures, especially with the looming Lok Sabha polls.

In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, seven BJP MPs are contesting each, while four are in Chhattisgarh and three in Telangana. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also has much at stake, as the results will reflect on his political standing, particularly in the Chambal-Gwalior region. Joining the BJP, he aims to reverse the Congress's setbacks in an area where it faced significant losses in the 2018 polls when Scindia was still with the Congress.

Pre-counting celebrations outside the Congress Headquarters

Celebrations outside Congress headquarters#ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/B4X4VMZfUo

— Satyam Patel | 𝕏... (@SatyamInsights) December 3, 2023

Ahead of the counting of votes, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel says, "Our (Congress) target was to secure 75 seats, and we are likely to come close to that figure..."

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader T S Singh Deo expresses, "It's gratifying to see projections placing Congress in the lead, and I anticipate that Congress will secure around 60 seats... The decision on the Chief Minister will be made by the Congress high command. We will accept whatever they decide..."

In 2018, the Congress emerged victorious in Chhattisgarh, leading to the appointment of Bhupesh Baghel as the chief minister. Presently, five exit polls anticipate a closely contested battle between the two major national parties, with the Congress slightly edging ahead. Conversely, three other polls predict that the Congress is poised for a comfortable second consecutive term.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan faces a litmus test, relying on his government's welfare initiatives to counter challenges from both the Congress and internal contenders seeking to replace him as the party's leader in the state.

Despite the BJP refraining from nominating him as its chief ministerial candidate and fielding various regional leaders, including Union ministers, to convey a message of collective leadership, Chouhan has conducted an extensive campaign. His approach involves establishing an emotional connection with voters, portraying himself as their affectionate 'mama' (uncle), aiming to reaffirm his dominance in the state's political landscape.

The outcome of the BJP's performance will determine whether the party's longest-serving chief minister can make a strong comeback or if he will have to grapple with an uncertain future. Chouhan has held office since 2005, with a brief hiatus after the 2018 polls when Kamal Nath led a Congress government for approximately 15 months.

Exit polls point to a closely fought contest in Rajasthan between the BJP and Congress, injecting suspense into the electoral scenario.

The majority of exit polls lean towards a BJP advantage, indicating a potential continuation of the revolving-door trend in the state.

India Today-Axis My India indicates a favourable outlook for Congress, introducing an element of uncertainty and anticipation into the political landscape.

In Telangana, all exit polls predicted a shift in power, indicating that the Congress was poised to replace the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which has governed the state since its establishment. Notably, four exit polls even suggested that the Congress might secure a simple majority on its own. The Congress faced a significant setback in the 2018 elections, trailing by approximately 20 percentage points in vote share compared to the BRS. 

See the Exit Poll projections HERE

BJP's Keshav Prasad Maurya says, "In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, the BJP is poised to secure a decisive mandate. We eagerly await tomorrow's vote counting. I am optimistic that, under the leadership of PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President JP Nadda, all three states will witness the formation of a BJP government. Additionally, we anticipate a strong performance in Telangana and Mizoram."

Ahead of the counting of votes in Rajasthan, Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore says, "...In due course, a new government will emerge... BJP is poised to secure a substantial majority and establish governance."