New Delhi:
The fate of governments in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will be known today when counting of votes takes place in the assembly elections, considered the semi-finals ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. (
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In Mizoram, where too election was held, counting will take place on December 9.
Voting ranged between over 65 per cent in Delhi and over 81 per cent in Mizoram. Rajasthan recorded over 74 per cent, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh over 70 per cent.
With Narendra Modi spearheading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign after his nomination as the party's prime ministerial candidate, all eyes will be on how the party performs in the current round of elections.
On the other hand, the Congress' performance could point to the potential of Rahul Gandhi as the party's mascot ahead of the big fight early next year.
The contest was essentially bipolar between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while in Delhi it was a virtual triangular contest with new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making it difficult for the two national parties.
Exit polls after the elections in these states have predicted a near rout for the Congress and a good showing for the BJP, which is likely to retain power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and wrest power in Rajasthan.
Sheila Dikshit, seeking a record fourth term as Delhi Chief Minister, appears to be facing the toughest battle in the national capital with the emergence of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party upsetting the calculations of both the Congress and the BJP. Dr Harsh Vardhan is BJP's chief ministerial candidate. (
Will Kejriwal make an extraordinary debut?)
There are 810 candidates in fray in Delhi for 70 seats. While the Congress and the AAP are contesting all the seats, BJP is in the fray in 66 seats. It has given four seats to ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Shivraj Singh Chauhan is involved in a tough battle with Congress in his bid for a hat trick, as he is pitted against a young Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for the Chief Minister's post in Madhya Pradesh. (
Read: Will Shivraj make it three in a row?)
For the 230 seats at stake, the BJP has fielded its candidates in all the seats while the Congress is fighting in one less. A total of 2,583 candidates are in fray. Rajasthan witnesses a keen fight between the Congress led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the BJP's Vasundhara Raje, with both the parties facing each other in all the 200 constituencies. As many as 2,087 candidates are in the fray in the desert state. (
Read: Will BJP, Vasundhara Raje get their shot?)
Like his Madhya Pradesh counterpart, Raman Singh is seeking a hat trick in Chhattisgarh where again both the BJP and the Congress are fighting it out against each other in all the 90 constituencies. There are 986 candidates in all. (
Chhattisgarh: BJP, Congress locked in a closed contest)