Satta market speculates a likely win for Congress in Madhya Pradesh polls

If satta (betting) market trends are anything to go by, the Congress Party might walk away with a clear majority in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls. In Indore, the satta market is betting 35 paise on the Congress and Rs 1.65 on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A lower price in the satta market indicates victory, while a higher price indicates a likely defeat. According to speculators, the BJP is likely to get approximately 90 seats and the Congress might cross 130. Madhya Pradesh has 230 assembly seats and 116 is the magic figure that entitles a party to form the government. The market grapevine also says that many ministers in the current government might lose their seats. The results are scheduled to be announced on December 11.

Another controversy

During campaigning in the run-up to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the veritable motormouths among the contestants raked up many controversies. The district collector of Rewa jumped on to the bandwagon after the voting. On Sunday, a video went viral on social media in which collector Preeti Maithil was seen asking her security personnel to shoot anybody who tries to get close to the EVMs. She could be heard saying, ''25-saal ki naukri hai meri… iss chunav mein mai apni sakh thode na kharab karungi…aage ja ke mujhe principal secretary, chief secretary banna hai… goli maar dena bin baat koi ghuse to (I have 25 years behind me and I am not ready to put my reputation at stake. I want to become principal secretary, chief secretary… no one should enter this place... shoot any intruder who comes close without a reason).” So much for probity!

No two love stories are same

Absconding diamantaire Nirav Modi and businessman Vijay Mallya are currently pleading against the same plea made by the Enforcement Directorate to declare them as “fugitive economic offenders” before a court in Mumbai. On Saturday, the court asked advocate Vijay Aggarwal, representing Modi, if he wanted to argue on an application seeking a stay on the hearing, given that a similar plea made by Mallya’s legal team had already been rejected. Aggarwal responded saying that he wished to continue arguing it. "Two film directors can make the same love story in two completely different ways," he said, stating that he could argue the same plea in a different way.