Voters show their identification cards as they wait in queues at a polling station to cast their votes for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, in Jabalpur, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
After India gained independence in 1947, the Central Provinces and Berar, along with several princely states, joined the Indian Union and formed a new state called Madhya Pradesh.
The legislative assembly of this state initially had 184 members. On November 1, 1956, Madhya Pradesh was reorganised and established as a separate state, merging the former Madhya Pradesh (excluding Marathi-speaking areas, which were merged with Bombay state), Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal states. The legislative assemblies of all four former states were also merged to form the reorganised Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.
However, this first Vidhan Sabha had a short tenure and was dissolved on March 5, 1957. The first elections for the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha were held in 1957, and the second Vidhan Sabha was formed on April 1, 1957. Initially, the Vidhan Sabha consisted of 288 members, but later it was increased to 321, including one nominated member.
Indian National Congress remained the dominant party till 1998, winning 7 times, while Samyukta Vidhayak Dal, Janata party and Bharatiya Janta Party won once each.
From 1957 till 1998, here's a list of political parties that won these elections.
On November 1, 2000, a new state, Chhattisgarh, was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. As a result, the strength of the Vidhan Sabha was reduced to 231, including a nominated member.
From 2000, the state has witnessed 4 elections. BJP won three of those and Congress won in 2018.
The winds had blown in favour of Congress in 2018, for the first time since Chhattisgarh was carved out in 2000. INC won 114 seats while reducing BJP to 109. Kamal Nath was sworn in as the chief minister. But in 2019, right before lockdown, 22 sitting Congress MLAs resigned, dissolving the Kamal Nath-led government.
It remains to be seen how 2023 election results turn out to be.
The 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly segment went to polls today, on November 17. The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3.