"BJP will form government with big majority": MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's brother

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 17 : Narendra Chouhan, the brother of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Friday talked up the prospects of the ruling BJP in the single-phased Assembly elections, which is currently underway in the state.
He said he was hopeful of the BJP returning to the hustings in MP with a comfortable majority.
Speaking to ANI before the start of polling for 230 Assembly seats in the state, Narendra Chouhan said, "All arrangements are in place and people are waiting eagerly to cast their votes. People will vote first and then proceed to their respective workplaces. The BJP is on course to forming the government with a big majority."
Voting for Madhya Pradesh's 230 assembly seats began at 7 am on Friday. The voters can cast their votes until 6 pm, barring the Baihar, Lanji, and Parswara assembly seats of Balaghat district and some booths in Mandla and Dindori districts where polling will be held till 3 pm.
The BJP is seeking to retain power in the state where it has ruled for almost 18 of the past 20 years and Congress is keen to oust the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
Webcasting has been made available at about 42,000 polling stations. Nearly 700 companies of the central forces and two lakh police personnel of the state have been deployed for security during the poll.
The election will decide the electoral fate of over 2,500 candidates.
Nearly 5.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. It includes 2.87 crore male and 2.71 crore women voters.
There are over 5,000 booths run by women and 183 polling stations run by the disabled, officials said.
The polls, coming nearly six months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, are crucial for both the BJP and Congress for various reasons.
The BJP apparently has gone for "collective leadership" and has not projected Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as its clear choice for the chief ministerial post but there is no ambiguity in the Congress with Kamal Nath as its clear choice for the post.
A reason for the BJP banking on collective leadership is the perceived "fatigue factor" with the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. Though Shivraj Singh Chouhan may not be personally facing anti-incumbency, there have been reports of a yearning for change among sections of the population.
The BJP has made adjustments to its strategy after the outcome of the Karnataka polls, which saw Congress score a handsome victory. Some of the BJP's candidates are in their seventies. Also, the party has fielded three Union ministers, four MPs and one national general secretary who are seen as chief ministerial candidates.
The party is heavily relying on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has addressed rallies in the state and targeted the Congress. Congress leaders have tried to make "corruption" and 'unemployment", " price rises," and "problems of farmers" big election issues.
Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party are also in the fray in the Hindi heartland state and political parties have made special efforts to woo OBCs, Dalits, women, tribals and youth, who will decide the election.
BJP has been in power in the state since 2003, except for a nearly 15-month period in between. Madhya Pradesh will vote for all its 230 seats in a single phase and the counting of votes, with four other states, will be taken up on December 3.