In Madhya Pradesh Bypolls, Congress Ahead In Both Seats

Bhopal: Counting of votes for bypolls to Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh is under way, and as per initial leads the Congress is ahead in both these seats. Both these seats had voted on Saturday in what was a seen as a keenly contested prestige battle between the Congress and the BJP ahead of the assembly polls in the state due later this year.

Mungaoli and Kolaras had seen high-voltage campaigns from the ruling BJP and the Congress that's keen on retaining the two seats. While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the BJP campaign with a host of ministers, Congress lawmaker Jyotiraditya Scindia led the opposition attack.

Both the seats fall under Mr Scindia's parliamentary constituency Guna and were earlier held by the Congress.  The BJP that has been in power for 15 years in the state pitched for development in the Congress bastion. Having lost two assembly bypolls to the Congress last year, the BJP is keen or recovering lost ground.

In the run-up to the elections, both sides had accused each other of poll code violations and lodged complaints with the election commission.

A district collector was removed ahead of polling after the Congress alleged that there was gross government machinery by the BJP, causing massive discrepancies in electoral rolls.

Complaints of poll code violation were also filed against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and some of his ministers.

Kolaras saw a voter turnout of 70 per cent; in Mungaoli it was 77 per cent. Twenty three rounds will be held to count the votes in Kolaras as opposed to 19 rounds in Mungaoli constituency. Counting of votes is taking place at the Government ITI College in Kolaras and Government Nehru Degree College in Mungaoli.