A day before the counting of votes in Madhya Pradesh, both the Congress and the BJP on Saturday expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the assembly elections.

The counting of votes for all 230 assembly seats in MP will begin at 8 am on Sunday (December 3) at 52 district headquarters amid tight security, according to a top poll official.

MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed his party would retain power with a “huge majority”, while state Congress chief Kamal Nath said he had “complete confidence” in the voters of the state.

Many exit polls have put the incumbent BJP ahead of the Congress.

“BJP is going to form the government with a huge majority. (This is going to happen due to) love and trust for Modi ji (PM Narendra Modi), results of Centre and state schemes, trust of the people due to unprecedented development of Madhya Pradesh... BJP will get many more seats (than predicted),” Chouhan told reporters on Saturday.

He said that all the sections of society, including “ladli behnas”, gave love to the BJP.

‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ is a flagship scheme under which eligible women get a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,250.

Asked about the exit poll projections, state Congress chief Nath told reporters, “I have nothing to do with (such) polls. I have trust in the voters of Madhya Pradesh.” In reply to a question about reaching out to party rebels and independent candidates (in case of a hung assembly), Nath said there won’t be any need for it.

“If the BJP has 160 seats, then why is it creating drama by talking to such people,” he asked.

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