Madhya Pradesh votes tomorrow to elect 230-member Assembly

Madhya Pradesh will go to polls tomorrow to elect a 230-member Assembly with the BJP-government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan fighting for an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the state where Congress was ousted ten years ago.

Voting will be held in 53,896 polling booths in 51 districts with the electorate of 4,64,57,724. A total of 2,583 candidates are in fray, including Chouhan, who is contesting from Budhni and Vidisha seats.

The other prominent candidates from BJP are state Urban Development Minister and former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur (Govindpura in Bhopal), Forest Minister Sartaj Singh (Seoni-Malwa in Hoshangabad district) and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra (Datia proper in Datia district).

State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta is fighting from Bhopal South-West while Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Gopal Bhargava from Rehli and BJP MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia from Shivpuri.

The Congress' candidates are led by Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Ajay Singh, who is contesting again from the Churhat constituency in the Sidhi district.

Another prominent Congress candidate this time is Jaiwardhan Singh, the son of party General Secretary and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. Jaiwardhan is in the race from Raghogarh constituency in Guna district.

Candidates from 12 erstwhile royal families have also thrown their hats in the ring.

The Congress has been out of power in the state since it lost elections in December 2003.