Madhya Pradesh polls: Several BJP ministers, including Narottam Mishra, trailing after initial rounds

BHOPAL: Even as early trends on Sunday showed the Bharatiya Janata Party heading for an emphatic win over the Congress in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, several ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet, including high-profile home minister Narottam Mishra, were trailing after initial rounds of counting. Mishra, also the spokesperson of the state government and often in the news for his statements on various issues, is trailing by 2,243 votes against the Congress' Rajeandr Bharti in Datia after the second round of counting.

Others who are behind include Arvind Bhadoria (Ater), Mohan Yadav (Ujjain South), Vishwas Sarang (Narela), Mahendra Singh Sisodia (Bamori) and Rajyavardhan Singh Dattigaon (Badnawar).

Arvind Bhadoria is trailing by 6,170 votes against Congress candidate Hemant Katare after the third round, while Dattigaon is behind Congress' Bhawar Singh Shekhawat by 3,195 votes after the seventh round of counting.

Mohan Yadav is trailing by 2,025 votes against Congress candidate Chetan Yadav after three rounds. Sisodia is behind by 16,215 votes against Congress candidate Rishi Agrawal after six rounds.

Vishwas Sarang is trailing by 1,049 votes from Narela where Congress candidate Manoj Shukla is ahead after round two of the counting.

Polls were held for the 230-member Assembly on November 17.