Madhya Pradesh assembly elections highlights: Over 71% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

Voting for 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh ended at 6 pm on Friday.

An official, however, said that those still in queue would be allowed to exercise their franchise, according to PTI.

A total voter turnout of 71.16% has been recorded in Madhya Pradesh till 5 pm, data from the Election Commission. Polling in the state ended at 6 pm.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar says that there was a wave of the BJP in the state and expresses confidence that his party will form the government with a clear majority in the state.

“There is a wave of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. The atmosphere is in favour of the BJP. People are liking the schemes and development works of the Central government and state government,” he says, according to ANI.

Earlier today, Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the polling booth in Rehti.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is demanding strict action against Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra for saying that there will be celebrations in Pakistan if any party other than the BJP wins the election in the state.

“In Madhya Pradesh, pressing the Lotus button is seen as a signal for the army to reinforce border security. The prospect of PM Modi winning has left Pakistan disappointed. The Kamal button is seen as a deterrent to terrorists, instilling fear in them,” Mishra told PTI earlier today.

A voter turnout of 60.4% has been recorded till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh, data from the Election Commission shows.

A shop in Indore distributed free Poha to people who voted before 9 am today.

Prominent among those who voted early include Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his family, Congress' Kamal Nath along with his family, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Prahlad Patel, state BJP president VD Sharma, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya home minister Narottam Mishra, sports and youth welfare minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia, industries minister Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon and state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan, according to PTI.

"Today morning, I went to the polling centres to take stock of the situation. I received a call from my party workers, who informed that BJP councillor was misbehaving with women voters at ward no. 25. They are claiming that I was trying to barge into the polling centre, but I wasn't doing any such thing," Nakul Nath, son of former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, said after he was stopped from entering a polling station.

"There is an undercurrent for a change. Women very intelligent and they take their decisions diligently. It is time for women to take a tough decision as on the one hand there is some greed and on the other their future and hope are at stake," said Amrita Rai, wife of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, after casting her vote in Bhopal.

Voters' turnout till 1 pm clocked at 45.40%.

Heavy security deployed outside polling booths 147-148 of Dimani Assembly constituency, in Mirghan, Morena where one person was injured in an incident of stone pelting. The situation is now under control.

"It is an inciting statement. Strict action should be taken against him (Narottam Mishra). He should be served notice immediately. This person has no right to contest the election," says Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra's 'celebrations in Pakistan' remark.

"I spoke with the SP and Collector. An incident occurred there but the SP says that it is peaceful there now and voting is taking place smoothly," senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on incident of violence in Morena.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and his wife Amrita Rai cast their votes at a polling booth in Bhopal.

After casting his vote, Union Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Singh Tomar says, "There is a wave of BJP in Madhya Pradesh, the atmosphere is in favour of BJP and people are liking the schemes and development works of the Central Government and State Government. BJP will form the government with a clear majority. I have cast my vote and here also the atmosphere is in favor of BJP."

Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti cast her vote at her native place Dunda, Tikamgarh today.

Stones were pelted outside the polling station in Manhad village of Mehgaon assembly constituency of Bhind. BJP candidate Rakesh Shukla sustained minor injuries during the incident. Police reached the spot. Further details awaited.

Responding to question on BJP's CM face, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "I have always said that I am not in the race for the Chief Minister. I was never in the race, neither in 2013, 2018 or 2023. The race is for the development and growth of PM. ‘Kursi ka race Congress ki hai’."

Madhya Pradesh home minister and BJP candidate Narottam Mishra on Friday said if any political party other than BJP wins the assembly elections, then there will be ‘celebrations in Pakistan’ over the victory. To which, Congress candidate Kamal Nath said, "Let Narottam Mishra himself win first and then talk about Pakistan."

Nakul Nath, Congress leader and son of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath, was allegedly stopped from entering polling booth in Bararipura, Chhindwara by BJP workers.

Few machines were reported to have glitches during practice polling which were replaced immediately, Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said. "Polling is going on... Wherever there were problems in EVM and VVPAT, immediately they were changed... According to the figures that I have until 9 am, 11.95% of the voting has been done in the state," he said.

Nearly 700 companies of the central forces and two lakh police personnel of the state have been deployed for security during the poll.

"This is not important to me. Our party makes the decision on who has to work where. We don't think about ourselves, our mission is to work for the development of the country and Madhya Pradesh...BJP is going to get the biggest majority in the history," CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

"Voting is being held peacefully across the state. There is no report of any issue from anywhere. We are continuously tracking the situation. All the Collectors, Sector Officers are on the field," Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan told reporters.