Lok Sabha Election 2024: Madhya Pradesh Records 62.51% Voter Turnout

Voting ended for nine Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday evening. Former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijaya Singh and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president V D Sharma were among the early.

Voting in the 3rd phase of the Lok Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh for nine seats concluded on Tuesday evening. The state recorded an approximate voter turnout of 62.51 per cent as per the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The nine Lok Sabha seats are Morena, Bhind (SC-reserved), Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh and Betul (ST-reserved). Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and former state chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh were in the fray in this phase.

Voting for the third phase began at 7 am and was conducted across 20,456 polling stations, including 1,043 to be entirely managed by women. There are 1,77,52,583 eligible voters, including 92,68,987 men, 84,83,105 women and 491 transgender persons, as per official data.

---ALL UPDATES---

• 7.00 PM
  62.51% Polling Recorded Till 7 PM
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 7 pm of the polls stands at 62.51 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 6.09 PM
  I am confident BJP will again form govt: Jyotiraditya Scindia
  After casting his vote, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia while speaking to reporters said, "Voters' enthusiasm has increased in this third phase of elections. It is important to use our right to vote responsibly. I am confident BJP will again form the govt."
• 6.00 PM
  Scindia casts vote in Gwalior
  Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia casts his vote in Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior
• 5.30 PM
  62.28% Polling Recorded Till 5 PM
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 5 pm of the polls stands at 62.28 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 5.00 PM
  Trying an election to be held impartial: Digvijaya Singh
  Congress leader Digvijaya Singh while speaking to the media in Rajgarh said, "We are trying that election to be held impartial. Wherever bogus voting happened, our people opposed it... A machine (EVM) is a machine, I have always been saying that I have objections to EVMs. In that machine, you can't see where the vote is going. In the VVPAT machine, there is software, that software decides what will happen, whatever I do, what software wants only that thing will be printed and that will be counted."
• 4.40 PM
  Wants 400 seats to prevent Congress from looting OBC quota: PM
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a "Babri lock" on the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He further said that he wants the seats to prevent the Congress from "dacoity" of the OBC quota to benefit its vote bank. Read More...
• 3.58 PM
  Have full faith in PM Narendra Modi's leadership: Jyotiraditya Scindia
  Union Minister and BJP candidate from Guna, Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "I have full faith in PM Narendra Modi's leadership which has taken the country to the global platform and the people of the country believe in PM Modi... Even the Election Commission wanted voter turnout to increase and we are working for that."
• 3.30 PM
  54.09% Polling Recorded Till 3 PM
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 3 pm of the polls stands at 54.09 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 2.20 PM
  Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said, "In Bhind, an incident of firing has come to notice. It happened because of an internal conflict. It happened 400 meters away from any polling booth. It has nothing to do with the elections... In Guna, there was news that 11 votes were cast at a booth and the EVM showed 50 votes. The collector inquired about this to the presiding officer and the polling agents. This news is wrong... There are a total of 905 voters there and 295 of them voted till 11 am. There was 32% polling."
• 1.40 PM
  44.67% Polling Recorded Till 1 PM,
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 1 pm of the polls stands at 44.67 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 1.27 PM
  Congress distorted the history of the country: PM Modi
  Addressing a public gathering in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Congress wants that Baba Saheb should not get the credit for making the Constitution. Congress has started saying that Baba Saheb's contribution in making the Constitution was less, Nehru ji played the biggest role in making the Constitution...They first distorted the history of the country and made people forget the great Sons of Independence. They wrote false history to glorify themselves and now they have started fabricating lies about the Constitution as well."
• 12.25 PM
  PM Modi addresses public gathering in MP's Dhar
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public gathering at Madhya Pradesh's Dhar on Tuesday.
• 11.32 AM
  30.21% Polling Recorded Till 11 AM
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 11 am of the polls stands at 30.21 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 11.25 AM
  This is my last election: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh
  Senior Congress leader and party candidate from Rajgarh Digvijaya Singh said, "Congress workers are being pushed outside the 100-metre radius. BJP leaders are within a 100-metre radius and are with banners and posters of Lord Ram. They have Congress leader Pankaj Yadav at the Police station but BJP people with more criminal tendencies are roaming free. This is my last election because I am 77 years old. New people should be given a chance.".
• 11.02 AM
  You have to decide if vote jihad will work or Ram Rajya: PM Modi
  Addressing a public rally in Khargone, PM Modi said, "India at a turning point in history, and you have to decide if vote jihad will work or Ram Rajya."
• 10.40 AM
  PM Modi addresses public rally in Madhya Pradesh
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone on Tuesday.
• 10.15 AM
  Women voters sing folk songs at polling booth
  Women voters sang folk songs as they arrived to cast their votes at a polling booth in Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.
• 10.00 AM
  BJP candidate Shivraj Singh Chouhan offers prayer to Narmada River
  Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered prayers to the Narmada river after casting his vote. Congress has fielded Pratap Bhanu Sharma from here Vidisha. BJP's Ramakant Bhargava is the sitting MP from the seat.
• 9.56 AM
  Elections are big festivals of democracy: MP Governor
  After casting his vote, MP Governor Mangubhai Patel said that Elections are big festivals of democracy. The "Constitution has provided us the right to vote and we should exercise it. I urge all eligible voters to exercise their franchise well," he said.
• 9.51 AM
  Governor Mangubhai Patel casts vote with family members
  Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel and his family cast their votes at a polling booth in Gujarat's Navsari. BJP has fielded its sitting MP CR Paatil from the constituency.
• 9.48 AM
  Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia arrives at polling booth in Shivpuri
  Union Minister and BJP candidate from Guna Jyotiraditya Scindia arrived at a polling booth in Shivpuri to cast his vote for the LokSabha Elections. Congress has fielded Rao Yadavendra Singh against Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna.
• 9.34 AM
  14.22% Polling Recorded Till 9 AM
  The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 9 am of the polls stands at 14.22 per cent on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 9.15 AM
  Congress believes in democracy: Congress candidate Satyapal Singh
  On the alleged detaining of candidates, Congress candidate from Morena Lok Sabha seat Satyapal Singh said, "I spoke to the SP yesterday night. He said that there should be peaceful voting in Morena and leaders of main parties have to be with the police in the Police lines. Congress believes in democracy... This is a democracy and nobody can detain candidates. We are cooperating with the system."
• 9.00 AM
  Fortunate to have participated in festival of democracy: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
  After casting his vote, Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the media that he was fortunate to have participated in the festival of democracy. "I have voted. Vote is the soul of democracy, a symbol of dedication towards democracy. Everyone should cast their vote," he said.
• 8: 15 AM
  Shivraj casts vote with family members
  Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was accompanied by his family members, cast their votes at a polling booth in Sehore.
• 7:20 AM
  VD Sharma casts vote in Bhopal
  Madhya Pradesh BJP President and candidate from Khajuraho constituency VD Sharma cast his vote at a polling booth in Bhopal. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Alok Sharma from Bhopal. Congress has fielded Arun Shrivastava. BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is the sitting MP from the constituency.
• 7 AM
  Phase 3 voting begins in Madhya Pradesh
  Polling for nine Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh gets underway on scheduled time.
• 6:55 AM
  Digvijay, Jyotiraditya won't be able to vote in their constituencies
  Ex-CM Digvijay Singh, who is contesting from Rajgarh and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is BJP's candidate from Guna Lok Sabha seat, are not voters in their respective parliamentary constituencies. In such a situation, both will not be able to vote in their Lok Sabha segments.
• 6:45 AM
  Before polling, Shivraj offers prayers at home
  Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered prayers at his residence in Jait village of Sehore. Voting for the third phase of general elections will begin at 7 am.
• 6:30 AM
  BJP's Khajuraho candidate VD Sharma appeals people to vote in large numbers
  Madhya Pradesh BJP President and candidate from Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency VD Sharma has made an appeal to voters to exercise their franchise freely without any inhibition. "It is the third phase of polling today. I appeal to all voters to encourage people to vote in large numbers...Every vote counts..," he said.

Key contestants and seats

At stake is the political future of BJP leader and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking to reclaim the home turf Guna which he lost in 2019 when he was in the Congress. BJP veteran and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is contesting from Vidisha constituency, a saffron fortress which he had represented multiple times in Lok Sabha in the past, after almost 17 years. He is pitted against Congress candidate Pratap Bhanu Sharma.

In Rajgarh, Congress veteran and former CM Digvijaya Singh (77) seeks to reclaim the lost legacy, marking his return to the Lok Sabha electoral contest after more than 30 years. His challenger is two-time BJP MP Rodmal Nagar. The BJP is hoping for a clean sweep in Madhya Pradesh, which sends 29 members to the Lok Sabha.

In 2019, the BJP failed to win the Chhindwara constituency, the only saving grace for the Congress which managed to retain it on the charisma of party veteran Kamal Nath. His son Nakul Nath won the seat last time. In high-stake Guna, where votes of the Yadav community can tilt scales, Scindia is facing Yadvendra Singh Yadav of the Congress.

In 2019, Scindia, who was then the Congress candidate, lost his family bastion to BJP's KP Yadav. The scion of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, Scindia quit the Congress in 2020 and joined the BJP. Chouhan looks comfortably placed in Vidisha, but the contest in Rajgarh may be a close one. Digvijaya Singh won from Rajgarh in 1984 and 1991 but lost in 1989. He became the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh in 1993. Of the total 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, polling for 12 seats concluded in two phases on April 19 and 26. The remaining eight seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.