Cong Inches Towards Majority in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh: 5 Points

Voters had clearly rejected BJP in what was an indication of things to come in 2019, Congress leaders said today.

• The Congress party is heading towards a two-third majority in Chhattisgarh and is reaching the simple majority mark in Rajasthan, while going neck-and-neck with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, according to trends on the Election Commission website. The BJP is in power in all three Hindi heartland states.
• Voters have clearly rejected the BJP in what is an indication of things to come in 2019, Congress leaders said on Tuesday as trends showed the party ahead in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and locked in a see-saw battle in Madhya Pradesh.

• The Congress appears all set to shatter BJP leader Raman Singh's dream of a consecutive fourth term as Chhattisgarh chief minister, as per early trends for the state Assembly elections. As per the trends around 2.30 pm, Congress was leading in over 65 seats, while the ruling BJP was a distant second with 13 seats.

• Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, who was tasked with rebuilding the party in the state after a drubbing in the 2013 Assembly elections, exuded confidence that it will form the government there. "We are moving towards a full majority and I am sure it will be clear once final numbers are in, but still we welcome all like-minded and anti-BJP parties to support us and we are in touch...I am certain that we will come to power in Rajasthan. I am hopeful that like-minded parties against the BJP will come together," he told reporters in Jaipur. As per the trends around 4 pm, Congress was leading with over 100 seats while the BJP stood second with around 70 seats.

• In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the trends reflect people's desire for change, while state Congress chief Kamal Nath exuded confidence that they will form the government in the state. The initial vote count had suggested that the Congress and the BJP were neck and neck in Madhya Pradesh. However, the trends around 4 pm showed Congress leading in over 110 seats while BJP had around 105 seats.

(With inputs from PTI)