MP assembly polls a battle of ideologies: Chouhan; Scindia says confident of BJP win in 5 states

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday described the next month's assembly elections in the state as a battle of ideologies and appealed to people to vote in large numbers with enthusiasm.

Chouhan's appeal came amid perceived anti-incumbency and voter fatigue in the central state which has remained loyal to the Bharatiya Janata Party over a long period. Another BJP leader and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will emerge victorious in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, including his home state Madhya Pradesh, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Elections are the biggest festival of democracy.

I appeal to the people to take part with full enthusiasm and vote in large numbers as elections not only form a government but also decide the future of the people and the state,” Chouhan told reporters in Sidhi after the poll schedule was declared by the Election Commission of India for five states. A single-phase polling will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 17 and votes will be counted on December 3. Chouhan also appealed to political parties to be mindful that Madhya Pradesh is an "island of peace and elections are not being contested as enemies".

“It is a battle of ideologies. Everybody should put forward his or her views decently, including from the government and the opposition, to ensure that elections are held peacefully," he added. The Congress is trying to build its poll narrative around the assurance of a caste survey and has made a slew of promises to people. The ruling BJP, on the other hand, has been touting the passage of the long-pending women's reservation bill in Parliament as a major achievement of the Modi government. The bill later became law with the assent of the President.

The saffron party is also targeting the Congress over "scams, corruption, and its failure to uplift people from poverty" and slamming the opposition INDIA alliance over the "eradication of Sanatan Dharma" remarks by a DMK minister. Meanwhile, Scindia said voting is the biggest right and voters are like God. "The blessings of the voters will be with BJP due to PM Narendra Modi's leadership and the BJP's policy of development, its record of good governance and ensuring the welfare of the poor," Scindia told reporters in Gwalior. As per the poll schedule, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will go to polls on different days from November 7-30.

More than 5.60 crore electors in Madhya Pradesh are eligible to exercise their franchise in the November 17 assembly polls. In the 2018 MP assembly polls, the Congress won a maximum of 114 seats in the 230-member House, while the BJP bagged 109 seats. With the BJP lagging in the tally, the Congress enlisted the support of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and independent candidates to form a coalition government under Kamal Nath. However, the Congress-led dispensation collapsed midway in March 2020 after several MLAs of the Congress who were loyal to Scindia crossed over to the BJP, which returned to power under Shivraj Singh Chouhan.