BJP's Raman Singh hopes to be chief minister for a third time in a row
Despite predictions of a BJP victory in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh's house was quiet this morning as counting began for the assembly elections in November.
In the 4-0 sweep that many exit polls have predicted for the BJP in assembly elections held in as many states over the last one month, Chhattisgarh is being seen as the closest battle.
Raman Singh, who hopes to be chief minister a third time in a row, said earlier this week that his BJP would get many more seats than exit polls have predicted it will.
The state's unprecedented voter turnout in both phases of assembly elections in November could hold the key to the result today.
The "exit poll of polls," an average of the exit polls conducted by different agencies, showed the BJP getting 52 and the Congress 35 in the 90-seat Assembly.
But some exit polls predicted that no party would get a clear majority and also that the difference between the two parties could be that of a very few seats.
The Congress sees hope in both the 75.53 per cent voting in the first phase on November 11 in 18 Naxal hit constituencies and the 74.7 per cent turnout in the heart of Chhattisgarh, where it has been traditionally strong, on November 19; a high voter turnout has been seen to signal a need for change.
Veteran leader Moti Lal Vora said he also expects a "sympathy vote" in favour of the Congress, which had its entire top line of leadership in the state wiped out in a Naxal ambush earlier this year.
Amit Jogi, Congress leader and son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, admitted on Saturday that the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi did have an impact in the state, but said he believed the party had overplayed its hand. "He did 35 public meetings. Using your PM candidate like that - they have over done it," Mr Jogi said.
The assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and in three other states for which counting will be held today are being seen as a big semi-final to the national elections due by May.
They are also being seen as a test of Mr Modi's popularity.