As Congress trails in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in early trends, party leader says 'will form govt in all four states'

As counting of votes began for the assembly elections in four key states began today morning, early trends showed that the Congress is trailing in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan while it was leading in Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Despite the early disadvantage for the grand old party, party leader Pawan Khera said that they will form the next government in all the four states.

New Delhi: Even as Congress is trailing on two key states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the ongoing counting for the assembly elections, a party spokesman has claimed that the party will form the government in all the four States. As counting of votes began for the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana, early trends showed the BJP racing ahead of the Congress in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh while the Congress is leading in Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

The Congress disadvantage in the early trends notwithstanding, party spokesman Pawan Khera said, "We are confident of retaining power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. We are also expecting to form government in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana”. The senior Congress leader, Khera, was the party's observer to oversee the media preparations for the Assembly elections in Rajasthan. "The counting has started at 8 this morning. So, let's wait for some time to get more clarity over the result," added Khera.

Another party activist Alok Sharma claimed victory in the four states saying the Congress will form the government in all four. "Congress will form government in all four States. The BJP government will be dethroned even from Madhya Pradesh," Sharma, said. Sharma said that they all are “ready to celebrate the victory of the party in the Assembly elections”.

If Congress wins in all these four states, the opposition INDIA bloc led by Congress is expected to get a boost ahead of the 2024 general election. But that looks difficult going by the early trends in the ongoing counting. According to the latest update on the website of the Election Commission of India, BJP is comfortably placed in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan while the Congress looks set to retain power in Chhattisgarh and oust incumbent KCR led BRS in Telangana.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP was leading on 126 seats while the Congress was leading on 50 seats. Likewise in Rajasthan, the BJP was leading on 97 seats against Congress's lead on 75 seats when the last input came. The grand old party looks to comfortably placed to oust the incumbent KCR led BRS government in Telangana where it is leading on nearly 70 of the 119 seats.

In all the four States, especially in Madhya Pradesh and Telengana, Congress went to the voters with several big poll promises. In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the party is confident that its good work in last five years would definitely help the party for retaining power. Former MP and central committee member of CPI (M) Hannan Mollah said that Congress victory would definitely give the INDIA bloc alliance a major boost ahead of the next year's election.