20% SEATS IN MP, C'GARH WON BY FEWER THAN 5,000 VOTES

Swing constituencies will be in focus again when votes are cast for electing new Assemblies in the two states.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

In nearly 20% of the Assembly constituencies Chhattisgarh, the victory margin of winning candidates in the 2018 elections was less than 5,000 votes. These swing constituencies will be in focus yet again when votes are cast on 7 and 17 November for electing new Assemblies in the two states. On most of these seats, the fate of the victorious candidate would not only depend on the hard work put in during campaigning but also on the number of votes of her or his nearest rival cut by independents or candidates of smaller outfits like AAP, BSP and Samajwadi Party. In 2018, there was barely a difference of 0.13% in the vote share of the BJP and the Congress in MP. The final tally could have changed drastically with even a marginal shift in votes. But in the end, the Congress finished with 114, the BJP got 109 seats, BSP won 2, SP got 1 and the independents' tally stood at 4.

Though the BSP could win just two seats in Madhya Pradesh, its candidates stood third in many closely fought battles and bagged more votes than the victory margin between the elected candidate and the runner-up.

Out of the 230 constituencies in MP, there were 40 seats on which the victory margin was less than 5,000 in 2018. In Chhattisgarh, a victory margin of less than 5,000 was recorded in 15 out of the 90 constituencies in the state.