Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections 2018 results: LIVE UPDATES

Kamal Nath may dial Mayawati, say sources.

SP candidate Rajesh Kumar has won from Bijawar seat.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan ahead by approximately 32000 votes in Budhni - comfortable win despite the challenge of Arun Yadav.

Rahul Gandhi to address news briefing at 5:30 PM

Official ECI trends: Congress leading in 115 seats, BJP leading in 105 seats, others in 10 in Madhya Pradesh.

1.5% of votes in MP recorded for NOTA.

Congress is leading in 6 seats in Kamal Nath's strong zone Chhindwara

Mamata Banerjee comments on poll results, says, "Mahagathbandhan wins the semifinal".

WATCH: Mamata Banerjee Issues Open Challenge After Election Results, Says "BJP Will Face Miserable Defeat Of Other States Go To Polls Now"

BJP's Aakash Kailash Vijayvargiya wins from Indore-3 constituency with a margin of 7000 votes

Congress and BJP still in a very close fight. Latest results based on EC data:

Congress's Rajeev Shukla says that his party will form the government in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. He said that the party is confident of forming a government in MP.

BJP leading in 109 seats and Congress leading in 113 seats, as per EC

DMK's MK Stalin congratulated Rahul Gandhi and Congress for their performances in MP, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

Seats which are in close contest in MP. Currently, BJP is leading in 9 seats and Congress is leading in 6 of them.

Meeting between Kamal Nath and Jyotiradtya Scindia has been going on at the party headquarters.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says the countdown for 'Modi Raj'' has begun:

BJP sources in the state have said that the party is in touch with 10 candidates including BSP and SP candidates. CM  Shivraj Singh Chouhan has put Rakesh Singh in charge of it

Some good news for the MP CM. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has won from Budhni

EC says: MPC : BJP leading in 109  seats, Congress leading in 113  seats,  SP leading in  1  seat and BSP leading in 2 seats and others in 5 seats.

Results will be known by 10 PM.

Celebration outside Congress office in MP:

UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said about BJP's performance: "Congress is still struggling to reach half-way mark in two states. They have better numbers in Rajasthan and the numbers in Madhya Pradesh is swinging. I congratulate them for doing better than what they did in the past. But have they achieved a thunder? The people will respond to that. 

We have won Madhya Pradesh 3 times, the other side had an advantage of the anti-incumbency but I don't want to take the credit away from them."

Close battle on between BJP and Congress in MP.

BJP pulls ahead of Congress, as per the latest trends:

Congress candidate Sanjay Singh Masani, who is also the brother-in-law of Shivraj Singh Chouhan is trailing with a huge margin in Waraseoni, as per the latest trends.
 

EC Trends for MP: BJP leading in 110 seats,  Congress leading in 111 seats

Rahul Gandhi is at AICC HQ

BJP ahead by a slim margin:

Rahul Gandhi speaking at the AICC HQ:

"The elections results are here. I want to thank people, our workers in states we have won and lost. We won under difficult circumstances.

This victory belongs to farmers, small business owners, Congress party workers. It is important that we work on what we need to provide to states the vision and the government they can be proud of. We will address the issues of the farmers which the previous government could not do."

On CM-candidature in the states where Congress is winning, Gandhi said:

"There won't be an issue with CM candidate. It will happen smoothly."

Congress takes a lead again, as per the latest trends:

EC:  BJP leading in 111 seats, Congress leading in 111 seats

Rahul Gandhi speaking at AICC: "People voted for Modiji believing he will solve corruption, but they realized he is himself corrupt. PM is not able to respond to issues of corruption. He is not able to deal with the pressure from the Opposition."

On the united front against the BJP, he said:

"SP, BSP, Congress ideology is against the BJP. "

On the 2019 polls:

"We have a different approach. BJP has a different ideology. We will defeat them in 2019. But we don't have a BJP-mukt slogan."

The difference in leads of  BJP and Congress is changing every minute:

Rahul Gandhi on the issue of EVM tampering: "EVM issue is a generic issue. It's a universal problem. If people are uncomfortable, then issues should be rectified."
 

BSP fears poaching of its top leadership and hence has told their candidates to remain loyal with the party. BSP MP state president has been asked to go to Bhopal, say sources. 

"We are leading in few seats. It looks that the government will not form without us. All the possible winning candidates are with us," said sources.
 

Omar Abdullah on the poll results:

Shivraj Singh Chouhan called a meeting with state president Rakesh Singh and former president Prabhat Jha: Sources

130 seats in MP declared by EC. 61 to BJP, 66 to Congress, 3 to Independents

Shivraj Singh Chouhan wins Budhni constituency with a margin of 58,999 votes.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading from Budhni by more than 20,000 votes, as per latest trends.

Kamal Nath writes to Madhya Pradesh Governor staking claim to forming a government in the state

Another see-saw in the trends, as the Congress now has a slender margin:

Omar Abdullah remarks on Kamal Nath's letter

Amit Shah has spoken to Dharmendra Pradhan. Shah told his aides that the 'higher than Congress vote share' in Madhya Pradesh gives him confidence - Sources

The Congress on Tuesday staked claim to form the government in Madhya Pradesh in a nail-biting semi-final ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The battle for MP climaxed late on Tuesday night, with state Congress chief Kamal Nath writing to Governor Anandiben Patel and claiming that the party had the support of independent candidates. 

Rahul Gandhi to speak from AICC HQ at 2:30 PM

Cliffhanger in Madhya Pradesh: Counting underway

Counting ends in Madhya Pradesh. Final tally as per ECI:

Congress- 114

BJP- 109

BSP- 2

SP- 1

Independents- 4 

Sources close to Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: "We will try our best to reduce Congress to two digit numbers. There are at least 5 seats where we are trailing only by around 100 votes. The situation will be clear only by 2:30."

Congress reached mid-way mark again, as per trends.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has reached Sonia Gandhi's residence 10 Janpath.

Congress reached majority mark again:

The Samajwadi Party's MP unit is ready to support Congress. 

State SP chief Gouri Yadav said to Republic TV.  "If Congress would have shown a big heart at that time then this situation would not have arrived. But now these are things of the past. If our high command orders, then to stop BJP we will support the Congress."

Congress touches 120 seats lead mark:

Sanjay Singh Masani (brother-in-law of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan) who is fighting on Congress ticket got only 2800 votes.

Congress is leading by a few seats :

Congress with a single-digit lead in Madhya Pradesh

Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya (a minister in MP govt) is trailing from Chambal region.

Kamal Nath supporters begin celebrations in Congress headquarter.

Congress crosses half-way mark as trend count reaches 230.

Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia are at Kamal Nath's residence. All Congress leaders to head to the party office from Kamal Nath's house

Madhya Pradesh is perhaps the most intriguing of the five states where elections are being held because it features a thrilling and unpredictable direct battle between the BJP and the Congress. 

On the BJP's side is the 15-year-rule of Shivraj Singh Chouhan who is a popular face, along with the electoral potency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the Congress's side is anti-incumbency and the combined might of some of its seniormost leaders, namely Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and party president Rahul Gandhi.

The Madhya Pradesh assembly election 2018 results will decide the fate of 2,097 candidates who are in the fray.

The various exit polls aren't able to give a single answer as to who will win the state. Three exit polls give a slight advantage to the Congress in the 230-member assembly, including CVoter which projects a wafer-thin majority, whereas on the other hand, the BJP is pegged to get a majority on its own in the remaining two polls.

Accordingly, the poll of polls projects a hung house, with both parties being neck and neck.

Congress leading from all seats of Chhindwara district

Congress MP PC Sharma said: "Today is Tuesday and is a day of Hanuman... and we are sure that we will win the Madhya Pradesh election this time as the entire crowd of the state has voted for us... Right from the youth to the old people.. the state wants change now.

Congress maintains its position, BJP crosses into triple digit:

Jyotiraditya Scindia has tweeted addressing workers. He said, "People of MP took a decision and it will be clear today. Want to congratulate the people of the state."

Kamal Nath says he is assured of a majority win:  "We are fully confident of getting numbers on our own."

Security arrangements at Bhopal city ahead of results announcements.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan leading from Budhni with 12572 votes

Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia reach MPCC office

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is holding special pre-results prayers at a temple inside his house.

Strong room opened in Indore for counting of votes -

Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh is leading from Raghogarh. The senior Congress leader's brother Laxman Singh leading from Chachaura

Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks about state's results, says after MP, BJP will lose in Centre.

Mamata Banerjee said that the poll's results are a "real democratic indication of 2019 final match."

In Congress's Headquarters in Bhopal, Kamal Nath for CM chants in front of Scindia posters

Counting begins for Madhya Pradesh.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia also spoke on the CM candidature.

Latest trend for the state :

Trends for MP are in:

Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading from Budhni, Yashodhara Raje Scindia is leading from Shivpuri

BJP is leading over Congress in the state:

Digvijaya Singh has said that he is confident about Congress forming the government in state:

An EVM belonging to booth number 2 is facing an issue: Sources

Latest trend in MP:

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on the party's chances to form government in the state

Congress President Rahul Gandhi keeps a close watch on the results.

Congress and BJP in a neck-and-neck fight in the state

One of the powerful minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, Narottam Mishra, is trailing from Datia.