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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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
