Election 2013: Counting begins in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Dec 8: Postal ballot vote counting has begun in

. Madhya Pradesh is the top state that followed postal ballot

in this year.

Voting day saw a record 72.52 per cent turnout

Postal ballot is the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system.

It is of benefit to people who may not be able to attend a polling station in person, either through a physical disability or absence from the locality. This method of voting is available to voters upon application (sometimes with restrictions) in statutory elections in many democratic nations.

Voting day saw a record 72.52 per cent turnout and rival Congress sees in that statistic a ray of hope that it could return to the state after 10 years; political analysts have for long read in higher numbers voting, an anti-incumbency trend.

The "exit poll of polls," an average of exit polls conducted by different agencies, shows the BJP grabbing 141 of the state's 230 assembly seats. It shows the Congress getting 77. The half-way mark for the state assembly is 115.

The Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and three other states for which votes are being counted today are being seen as a semi-final to the general elections due by May. They are also being considered a test of the popularity of Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

OneIndia News