MP polls: CM predicts huge BJP victory; Nath, Digvijaya confident of Cong win
Bhopal (PTI): The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress on Thursday claimed they would win the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, results of which will be declared on December 3.
Exit polls being telecast by various news channels since the evening after the end of voting in Telangana have predicted a close fight in MP, with some of them giving the BJP an edge.
"I have been saying from the beginning and also during the campaign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi affection and leadership, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah's strategy, (BJP president) JP Nadda's leadership and the hard work of party workers as well as the schemes of the state government will result in a huge victory for the BJP," said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Asserting that the "double engine government" of the BJP at the Centre and in MP had brought about huge development, Chouhan told PTI he was never in any doubt about his party retaining power.
"We always felt we will win and we are winning. The love and affection shown by our sisters, nieces and nephews (referring to citizens of the state) has been tremendous. At times, more women were present at our rallies than men. There was no 'kaante ki takkar (tough fight). Our ladli behanas have removed all the thorns," Chouhan said.
Meanwhile, in a post on social media platform X, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said, "I have always said the country is run by a vision and not by television. Many exit polls have shown that the Congress is forming the government in the state, while some others are saying something different."
"You (party workers) should not get carried away by all these things and should remain focused on the aim like 'Arjun' on the counting to ensure each and every vote cast in favour of the Congress is counted for the party. This will ensure formation of the Congress government with a landslide victory," Nath further said.
Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, however, pointed out exit poll predictions are varied and nothing can be said about them.
"But I can firmly say Congress will get more than 130 seats in MP. There was a feeling of change in the people and they fought the polls along with Congress workers. The people are fed up with the BJP, its workers and Chouhan's false promises as well as bad governance," asserted Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP and former state CM.
State home minister Narottam Mishra, who contested from Datia seat, said the BJP will win more than 165 seats, adding that exit polls had paved the way for the Congress' "exit" from the state.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
