Madhya Pradesh assembly elections: Key factors that highlight an epic battle

BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for 15 years. Will this be the strength of the party in the upcoming assembly elections or will it allow Congress to reclaim long-lost ground?

Bhopal: All eyes would be on the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections this Wednesday as the state gets ready to vote in a contest that has been billed as a BJP vs Congress battle. While several political analysts have said that the assembly elections here could reflect the mood ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, others mostly agree that it could be the toughest test yet for BJP - a party that has been in power for 15 years here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has been a force to reckon with in the state since the early years of 2000. Despite controversies and alleged scandals galore, Shivraj Singh Chauhan himself has been a popular face since taking over as CM in 2005. At the ground level though, there are strong indications of anti-incumbency making its presence felt and that is exactly what the Congress is banking upon.

The outcome of the largely binary contest rests upon 5.03 crore eligible voters across 230 seats in the state. Of these 35 seats are for reserved candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes while another 47 are reserved for candidates from Scheduled Tribes. 

In the previous elections - back in 2013, BJP rode home on the back of 165 seats while Congress had 58 seats. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won four seats while the Independents secured three. At the time, BJP had a vote share of 44.88 per cent while it was 36.38 per cent for the Congress. The contest could be a whole lot closer this year even if the 'dream union' between Congress and BSP remained but a dream.

Both BJP and Congress have left no stone unturned to woo voters - highlighting their achievements and throwing muck at rivals in equal measure. While PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath - apart from Shivraj himself - have held rallies across the state, Congress' charge has been led by party president Rahul Gandhi and Raj Babbar. Both sides have questioned each other and made promises galore.

The main highlights of BJP's manifesto for MP are the creation of 10 lakh jobs annually, Rs 40,000 crore loans to farmers, Rs 2 lakh crore for developing urban infrastructure, scooties for meritorious girls and doubling of women hired in educational institutions. The Congress, on the other hand, has promised to build gaushalas in every gram panchayat, establish a department for spirituality, loan-waiver for farmers, Rs 2.50 lakh for construction of homes for landless persons, a new youth policy and a new industrial policy for the betterment of locals.

With the model code of conduct coming into effect in the state from Monday, the battle lines are drawn clear and the political temperature is reaching its absolute peak. How MP votes could well decide on which way the entire country is headed ahead of 2019.