Election Results 2023: 'Ladli Behna' powers BJP to sweep Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi: Ruling BJP appeared set to retain power with a landslide victory in Madhya Pradesh elections with chief minister Shivraj Chauhan eyeing a possible fourth term as chief minister, and at the party's headquarters in state capital Bhopal were seen in a celebratory mood as counting of votes for the Assembly polls progressed on Sunday.

The election to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly was a fight between the BJP and the Congress, whose then 15- month old government, formed in the year 2018 was toppled from power in 2020 with help from Jyotiraditya Scindia who defected to BJP from the Congress.

As ECI results indicated a return to power, Chouhan credited the double engine BJP government for the party's success in the state.

"Modi ji MP ke mann mein hain aur Modi ji ke mann mein MP hai. He held public rallies here and appealed to the people and that touched people's hearts. These trends are a result of that. Double-engine government properly implemented the schemes of the Central Government and the schemes that were formed here also touched people's hearts."

The BJP though had fielded three central ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste to tackle the perceived anti-incumbency against Chouhan.

Chouhan relied heavily on schemes for women like the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' under which Rs 1250 are being transferred monthly to eligible women from poor families in the state. Congress has described it an election sop, implemented months before the assembly polls, the BJP leaders have said that it is in line with the party's work for empowering women.

(ANI)