Congress leader Digvijaya Singh (right) got 57 votes.

Bhopal:

Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will be returning to Rajya Sabha for the second consecutive term along with BJP leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki from Madhya Pradesh. Digvijaya Singh got 57 votes, Jyotiraditya Scindia got 56 votes and Sumer Singh Solanki secured 55 votes. Congress candidate Phool Singh Baraiya got 36 votes and he lost the election.

After winning the elections, Mr Scindia released a video thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and party workers. He also said that as he was unwell and couldn’t be present physically but he will meet them soon.

All 206 MLAs voted in the election that began at 9 am. Congress MLA from Kalipeepal Kunal Chaudhary who was covered from head to toe in a white protective jumpsuit, was among the last leaders who turned up to vote at the state assembly in Bhopal. Mr Chaudhary has been tested positive for COVID-19. His turn to vote came after 205 MLAs had already cast their votes.

The BJP, which had the support of 112 MLAs including two from the Bahujan Samaj Party, one Samajwadi Party and three independents, suffered the loss of two votes. One BJP MLA voted against his party while the other’s was rejected. Gopilal Jatav from Guna voted for Congress candidate but he explained to the party that it was “by mistake”. Another BJP MLA from Raigaon Jugal Kishore Bagri had his vote rejected on technical grounds. One vote of the Congress was also rejected.

After 22 MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia switched sides and resigned from the Congress, this time the Congress was particularly cautious and ferried its MLAs to the voting centre in buses. Two buses with 54 MLAs including Kamal Nath, reached the voting venue and voted for the party’s first preference nominee Digvijaya Singh. Later, the second lot of 37 Congress MLAs left for the assembly complex and voted for Phool Singh Baraiya.