Madhya Pradesh assembly election: Boost for Congress, Mayawati pledges support

Seeking to "keep the BJP out of power", BSP chief Mayawati Wednesday said her party will extend support to the Congress to form government in Madhya Pradesh and, if required, in Rajasthan too.

With the Congress managing a wafer-thin majority in Madhya Pradesh, she said the BJP is making efforts to return to power in the state.

Notably, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too has extended support to Congress in Madhya Pradesh. 

"We fought elections to keep the BJP out of power ... We do not agree with the philosophy of the Congress. But to keep the BJP out of power, we will extend it our support," she said. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said said that if the need arises, the BSP will support the Congress in Rajasthan to form the government.

She said though her party fought well in the assembly polls, it could not get seats as per its expectations. Mayawati said that people voted for the Congress as they found it as an alternative to the BJP. 

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said the Congress will use the mandate of the assembly polls to its benefit in the Lok Sabha elections, even as she urged her party cadre to gear up for the 2019 electoral battle. 

The Congress, which was locked in a tantalising see-saw battle with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as the single-largest party with 114 seats after the vote count ended on Wednesday morning, according to the State Election Commission Office.

The party is, however, two short of the simple majority mark, 116 seats, in the 230-member Assembly. The BJP was close behind with 109 seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats and the Samajwadi Party one. Independents bagged four seats, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao told PTI.