BJP to sweep MP, leads in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh; Congress set to wrest Telangana

The assembly polls in these states are heavily seen as a semi-final contest ahead of the general elections in less than six months.

The Congress, meanwhile, is in celebratory mode in Telangana as trends show the party is well ahead of K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

As per the latest trends, the BJP is ahead in 159 seats in Madhya Pradesh, which is more than double the opposition Congress' 68.

Among the heavyweights, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading from Budhni while his predecessor, the Congress' Kamal Nath, is trailing in Chhindwara.

Speaking to reports, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has credited the "able leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the trends in his state. "Madhya Pradesh has been once again blessed by Narendra Modiji. This outcome is not a result of a single day, but hard work for years."

After trailing behind the Congress in the early trends, the BJP has also surged ahead in Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

The saffron party is leading in 54 seats while the Congress leads in 32 constituencies.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is even trailing from the Patan constituency behind his nephew Vijay Baghel, a BJP candidate.

Four exit polls expected the Congress to cross the majority mark of 46 on its own.

The BJP is also leading comfortably in Rajasthan. It has been a close fight in this state during early trends, but now the BJP has raced ahead in 112 seats while the ruling Congress is leading in 72 seats.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot is leading in the Tonk constituency. Chief Minister and Pilot's colleague Ashok Gehlot is also leading in the Sardarpur constituency.

However, even as the Congress is losing in three states, in a sort of consolation, the grand old party is set to win Telangana polls.

In Telangana, the Congress is racing ahead of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's (KCR) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The Congress is leading in 68 seats against the BRS' 38.

BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is leading in Gajwel seat, but trailing in Kamareddy. Congress leader Revanth Reddy is ahead in Kamareddy.