02 December,2023 10:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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With the announcement slated for four states slated for Sunday, December 3, and one for December 4, Monday; India braces for the denouement of a significant electoral chapter which could impact the political trajectory leading up to the upcoming parliamentary polls.
The suspense is heightening as preparations are underway in five states--Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh--for the counting of votes. Meanwhile, the exit polls' projections are heightening the anticipation of the public.
A spate of exit polls surfaced, according to the reports, painted a varied canvas of possibilities for these states. in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh states stood at the centre stage of a direct tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress.
According to the reports, the exit polls in Rajasthan showed a close fight between BJP and Congress with the saffron party making a comeback and the grand old party only just ahead. Meanwhile, the reports showed varied predictions for Madhya Pradesh. Some surveys showed that BJP will win with landslide votes while others showed close contest.
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In Chhattisgarh, a state where the political narrative is in flux, exit polls indicate that the Congress is narrowly leading the BJP in this battle, stated reports. Reportedly, in contrast, Mizoram referred to a hung assembly, highlighting a conflict mainly between the ruling MNF and the up-and-coming ZPM.
In Telangana, a southern state that is predicted to experience political turmoil, exit polls swung the balance heavily in favour of the Congress and could result in a defeat for the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the reports stated.
The heads of the two main political parties expressed confidence in their respective outcomes: the BJP was upbeat in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, while the Congress was upbeat, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Beyond the realm of regional government, these state elections are important because they represent a turning point in the story that will shape the Lok Sabha elections later this year. Further evidence of the changing nature of India's political environment comes from the rise and prominence of regional parties in places like Telangana and Mizoram.