As Madhya Pradesh braces for election results, posters outside the Congress office in Bhopal celebrate Kamal Nath as the next Chief Minister. Digvijaya Singh extends congrats to Congress candidates, urging fair counting. Another Congress leader Pawan Khera expresses optimism, stating, "Results will surpass our hopes; retaining power in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, reclaiming in Madhya Pradesh." Despite Congress' confidence, the BJP, dominant since 2003, remains a formidable contender. Exit polls suggest a challenge for Congress, echoing the 2018 upset when Kamal Nath led the party to victory, later facing a setback. The state awaits Sunday's verdict. [Photo courtesy: ANI/X]

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, expressed optimism about the Congress forming the government, declared, "I spoke to the candidates; we will go to the designated centers." Meeting virtually with party leaders, Gehlot expressed confidence in a clear majority. State party in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and party chief Govind Singh Dotasara joined the discussion at the Congress war room in Jaipur. Discussing post-results plans, Gehlot emphasized, "We are prepared for the future course of action." The election, with a 75.45% voter turnout, marks a crucial juncture as the Congress aims to defy the five-year ruling party trend.

Congress leaders in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, have raised concerns over the integrity of postal ballots for the November 17 assembly elections. Mahesh Parmar, a Congress MLA, claimed that seals on a ballot box were broken, replaced with wet seals. However, the district's returning officer, Kumar Purushottam, refuted the allegations, citing adherence to Election Commission directives. He highlighted that the ballot box transfer was monitored and recorded. Despite objections from a Congress candidate, Purushottam emphasized the absence of tampering, with video evidence supporting the transparent handling of the electoral process. Vote counting is scheduled for Today (Sunday).

Ahead of Telangana election result counting beginning 8am Sunday, Congress leader DK Shivakumar arrived in Hyderabad with 10 Karnataka ministers overnight. Officially tasked to keep Congress Telangana leaders united per high command orders, unofficially Shivakumar will oversight the party's winning candidates amidst fears of poaching attempts. Congress workers will provide one-to-one protection for each MLA candidate as exit polls signal a Telangana victory. Such man-to-man security for all through counting day highlights worries of swooping rivals despite an expected Congress triumph, prompting vigilance led by the Karnataka Deputy CM.

Exit polls unanimously predict a Congress sweep in Telangana, ending KCR's rule in the 119-seat election. Congress claimed candidates already received BRS calls while KCR's party asserted they won't need to "poach" any Congress MLAs. India Today-MY Axis allotted Congress 63-73 seats versus just 34-44 for BRS. India TV-CNX saw Congress getting 63-79 seats, BRS 31-47. Other surveys concurred, except two like TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstra predicting a neck-to-neck 49-59 seats for the Congress and 48-58 for the BRS. But most forecasts handed the advantage to Congress, widely projected to achieve a simple majority and topple BRS. KCR's hopes to continue as CM suffered a blow if exit polls proved correct in largely favoring Congress to capture power in Telangana.

With tough fights predicted in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is looking for an easy win in Chhattisgarh. India Today-Axis My India poll predicted 40-50 seats out of 90 for the Congress and 36-46 seats for the BJP. ABP & C-Voter projected 41-53 seats for the Congress and 36-48 seats for the BJP. The Republic TV exit poll gave Congress 44-52 seats and 34-42 seats to the BJP; the India TV-CNX poll predicted 46- 56 seats for Congress and 30-40 seats for BJP.

Rajasthan's tradition of voting out the incumbent government concerns the Congress while the BJP is expecting a massive gain amid the Gehlot vs Pilot undercurrent. India Today-My Axis exit poll predicted BJP 80-100 seats and the Congress 86-106 seats out of 199. India TV-CNX poll predicted 94-104 seats for Congress and 80-90 seats for BJP. Times Now-ETG poll predicted 56-72 seats to Congress and 108-128 to BJP indicating a huge gap. Jan Ki Baat poll gave 100-122 seats to BJP and 62-85 seats to Congress. Though exit polls vary on margins, Rajasthan may break its incumbent jinx as surveys point to discontent against Congress handing advantage to challenger BJP.

Exit polls indicate a tight race in Madhya Pradesh with BJP having a marginal lead to retain power over Congress in the crucial 230-seat election. Incumbent CM Shivraj Chouhan declared BJP would win hugely while Congress's Kamal Nath dismissed the projections. India Today-Axis exit poll gave BJP 140-162 seats vs 60-90 for Congress. India TV forecasts 140-159 seats for BJP and 70-89 for Congress. Times Now predicted 105-117 seats for BJP and 109-125 for Congress. Republic TV pegged BJP to get 118-130 seats and Congress 97-107. While actual verdicts may vary, exit polls overwhelmingly expect a close fight between BJP and Congress to govern Madhya Pradesh.

The outcome of elections in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana will determine Congress's alliance bargaining as vote counting proceeds Sunday in the high-stakes semi-final ahead of 2024. Congress governs Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, BJP rules Madhya Pradesh while KCR's BRS controls Telangana. Congress said its Telangana candidates received calls from KCR, sparking rumors of post-election alignments. With the four verdicts poised to reshape national opposition unity, Congress seeks state wins to strengthen its hand in 2024 negotiations and unite anti-BJP forces. But defeats may erode its stature attempting a larger anti-Modi front.

Rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar asserted at a Karjat event that his decision to join the Shinde-led Maharashtra government was backed by Sharad Pawar, who allegedly urged him during a family discussion. Ajit criticized the episode surrounding Sharad Pawar's brief resignation as party chief, deeming it a "nautanki" or farce. He disclosed that a reconciliation meeting was attempted, questioning the need for protests against the decision. Ajit Pawar also addressed Anil Deshmukh's 'supari' claim, stating Deshmukh stayed with Sharad Pawar's group for ministerial prospects. Ajit suggested the timely discussion of the Uniform Civil Code and population control.