Madhya Pradesh heads for a saffron sweep

BJP has won 25 seats and is leading in 127 others in elections to the 230-member assembly. Ruling Cong has won only 7 and leads in 31.

Madhya Pradesh was on Thursday headed for a saffron sweep with the BJP winning 25 seats and leading in 127 others in the elections to the 230-member state assembly.

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The ruling Congress party, which had 124 seats in the last assembly, has so far won only seven seats and leads in 31.

"Others" have won two seats and lead in 27 constituencies.

BJP's chief ministerial candidate Uma Bharati won her Bada Malhera constituency.

Prominent Congress winners include senior ministers Hazari Lal Raghuvanshi and Sajjan Singh Verma who bagged Seoni-Malwa and Sonkatch seats respectively.

Phool Singh Baraiyya, who rebelled against BSP and its leader Mayawati to form Samata Samaj Party, was defeated from his home turf of Bhander by a BJP nominee.

NCP opened its account in the state with Hamid Kazi winning from Burhanpur --defeating his nearest BJP rival Kailash Parikh by 4,213 votes. Manjushri Thakur, sitting member of the Congress finished third.