BJP making efforts, hopeful of better turnout in 4th phase of LS polls: V D Sharma

Bhopal: The BJP is making efforts for a better voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling for eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh underway on Monday compared to the previous three phases, state party president V D Sharma said.

Talking to reporters at the state BJP headquarters here, Sharma said he expects polling in the eight seats to go up to 75-80 per cent.

As per poll authorities, 64.76 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 21 out of the total 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in MP which went to polls on April 19, 26 and May 7.

Polling was underway since 7 am on Monday in Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone, Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Indore and Khandwa constituencies.

"We are monitoring the voting process from here. The monitoring is also being done in all the districts where polling is underway. Voting turnout has increased by the efforts of all. Polling in the first two hours of the fourth phase is better than the last three phases," Sharma said.

He expressed confidence that the BJP will win all the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh by a historical margin.

"The atmosphere in the tribal belt is in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every tribal brother and sister is in the field to make Modi prime minister again," he said.

In Ratlam, there is a straight fight between former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria of the Congress and state Forest Minister Nagar Singh Chauhan's wife Anita Chauhan, the BJP nominee.

In Indore, the Congress is out of the race following the withdrawal of nomination by its candidate Akshay Kanti Bam at the last moment. The BJP has renominated its sitting MP Shankar Lalwani in Indore.