A day after various exit polls predicted an edge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan remained cautious in answering any questions on who would lead the government if his party retained power in the State. “Bharatiya Janata Party zindabad,” he said, in response to reporters’ queries.
M.P. Congress president Kamal Nath, on the other hand, termed the exit polls a “conspiracy to demoralise the Congress workers and pressurise the officials”.
The State went to the polls on November 17, with 230 Assembly seats at stake. The counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on Sunday. Most of the exit polls released on Thursday evening predicted a clear majority for the BJP, but there were a few that forecast a wafer-thin majority for the Congress.
