Madhya Pradesh Election Results 2023 | A clear winner emerges in Hoshangabad fight between brothers

The fight between brothers for the Hoshangabad seat in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023 sees a clear leader in incumbent MLA Sitasharan Sharma.

A unique contest is underway for the Hoshangabad seat in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election. Sitarasharan Sharma, former speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, and incumbent MLA from Hoshangabad, faces his brother Girija Shankar Sharma. While Mr. Sitasharan Sharma is a BJP candidate, Mr. Girija Shankar represents Congress.

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In what has proved to be a triangular fight, Mr. Sitarasharan has emerged in first place, currently polling at 72,391 votes as per data from the website of the Election Commission of India. His brother is in third place, with 32,944 votes. The second spot has been taken by Bhagvati Prasad Chourey at 56,831 (as of 3:20 p.m. on December 3, 2023.) The true challenger to the incumbent BJP MLA may thus prove to be Mr. Chourey, although a margin of around 15,560 exists at the time of writing. Mr. Sitasharan has held the Hoshangabad seat since 2013.

BJP is leading in 166 of 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, while Congress trails at 62, as of the time of writing. The BSP and the Bharat Adivasi Party are leading in one seat each.

Mr. Sitasharan has engaged in some unusual practices during his electoral campaigning, including not seeing his brother until polling day on November 17, to avoid socially awkward encounters between the two contesting candidates.

The Congress candidate Mr. Girija Shankar, was, until recently, a member of the BJP. He joined the Congress in September after failing to receive a ticket from the BJP for the elections. He has previously been an MLA as well, elected from Itarsi in 2003 and Hoshangabad in 2008.

In an earlier interview with The Hindu, Mr. Sitasharan said that the face-off was not unusual and that “it derives from our Sanskar itself.”