Bhopal: Polling began this morning to elect a 230-member Assembly in Madhya Pradesh, where the ruling BJP and opposition Congress are fighting for supremacy.
Polling time was between 8 am and 5 pm on 227 seats, while in three assembly segments – Lanji, Paraswada and Baihar – in the Naxal-affected Balaghat district, voting time was between 7 am am 3 pm.
The polling was brisk in many constituencies. The BJP is eyeing a fourth straight term in office, while the Congress is hoping for a comeback in the State which was once its stronghold.
The battle of ballots in Madhya Pradesh is just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls slated in the first half of 2019. As many as 2,899 candidates, including 1,094 independents, are in the fray for the 230 seats, but the main contest is between the Congress and BJP – the Big Two of MP politics. The State has 5.04 crore eligible voters.