Assembly elections: BJP coasting to emphatic victory in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: BJP today appeared set to post an emphatic victory in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, winning 23 of the 30 seats declared so far and leading in 131 in the 230-member House.

Challenger Congress was way behind the ruling party, having secured just seven seats, while its candidates were leading in another 50 constituencies.

Bahujan Samaj Party candidates are leading in five seats and 'Others' in six.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan won from Vidisha by 16,966 votes defeating Shashank Bhargava of Congress. He is also leading from Budhni, the seat held by him in the Assembly.

Forest Minister Sartaj Singh won Seoni Malwa seat, while Minister of State for School Education Nanabhai Mohod won Saunsar seat humbling Congress' Bhagvat Mahajan.

Though several senior ministers including Babulal Gaur, Kailash Vijaywargiya, Vijay Shah, Uma Shankar Gupta, Jagdish Devda and Archana Chitnis are leading, Public Relations and Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma and Anoop Mishra are trailing.

Former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri of Congress is trailing his BJP opponent and sitting MLA Surendra Patwa by 10,000 votes at Bhojpur.

However, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Singh is leading by 6,120 votes from his traditional Churhat constituency.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh, a debutant, is leading at Raghogarh.