Assembly Election Results 2023: A crucial prelude to the Lok Sabha polls

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The wait for the 2023 assembly election results is currently dominating the headlines, with vote counting about to begin in for four key states: Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana. These elections hold substantial significance as they serve as a crucial prelude to the impending Lok Sabha polls next year.

While Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana underwent a single-phase voting process, Chhattisgarh witnessed elections in two phases.

The political battleground in Rajasthan witnessed elections for 199 out of 200 seats in the state assembly on November 25. In a bid to reclaim power, the Congress party is striving to stage a comeback in a state where the political landscape has resisted a repeat government for the past three decades.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, is fervently working towards unseating the incumbent Ashok Gehlot-led government. Early indications from exit polls hint at a closely contested battle between the two major political entities.

Shifting focus to Chhattisgarh, the state held elections in two phases on November 7 and November 17, encompassing 20 and 90 seats, respectively.

In the 2018 polls, the Congress emerged victorious, securing 68 out of the 90 seats, while the BJP was relegated to a mere 15 seats. As the BJP aspires to reclaim dominance in the state, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel faces the specter of corruption charges related to the Mahadev Book App, adding an extra layer of complexity to the electoral landscape.

Madhya Pradesh, a state that has been a traditional stronghold for the BJP, presents a narrative where exit polls consistently place the ruling party ahead of the Congress. Notable figures such as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former Union Minister Narendra Singh Toma, Prahlad Singh Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath are actively participating in the fray.

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The 2018 elections saw the Congress emerge as the single largest party, but the government collapsed in March 2020, setting the stage for a fiercely contested 2023 battle.

In Telangana, where voting for 119 seats took place on November 30, exit polls suggest a formidable challenge for the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Projections indicate a potential outcome of 34-44 seats for the BRS, while the Congress is predicted to secure 63-73 seats, signaling a closely fought electoral contest.