Election
State story

Madhya Pradesh: the INC years, 1951–1972

16 Assembly elections · 1951–2023 · every seat count and share is read from the official record.

Who held the house

bar width = years in charge · tap one for that election
1951INC
1977JNP
1980INC
1990BJP
1993INC
2003BJP
2018INC
2023BJP

Indian National Congress has led 10 of 16 elections; power changed hands 7 times.

Seats over time

the leading parties
INCpeak 250 · 1985
25019512023
BJPpeak 220 · 1990
22019512023
JNPpeak 230 · 1977
23019512023
INDpeak 39 · 1962
3919512023

Madhya Pradesh has voted in 16 Assembly elections between 1951 and 2023. Indian National Congress has been the largest party in 10 of them — a long grip on the state.

Power has changed hands 7 times. The steadiest run was Indian National Congress's — the top party from 1951 to 1972 across 5 elections.

In 1993, Indian National Congress broke through — 174 of 320 seats — ending Bharatiya Janata Party's hold, which fell from 220 to 117.

In 2003, Bharatiya Janata Party broke through — 173 of 230 seats — ending Indian National Congress's hold, which fell from 172 to 38.

In 2018, Indian National Congress broke through — 114 of 230 seats — ending Bharatiya Janata Party's hold, which fell from 165 to 109.

In 2023, Bharatiya Janata Party broke through — 163 of 230 seats — ending Indian National Congress's hold, which fell from 114 to 66.

The sharpest single swing was 1977: Janata Party went from 0 to 230 seats, a gain of 230.

Janata Party's steepest fall came in 1980, from 230 seats to 2.

The closest verdict was 2018: Indian National Congress finished just 5 seats ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Most recently, in 2023, Bharatiya Janata Party holds 163 of 230 seats on 49.0% of the vote — a clear majority (116).

Pivotal elections

who held the house, seat by seat
First on record · 1951open →
158INC
  • INC15886%
  • IND169%
  • KMPP42%
  • RRP32%
  • Others32%

Indian National Congress · 49.1% of the vote · majority

The wave · 1977open →
230JNP
  • JNP23072%
  • INC8426%
  • IND52%
  • RRP10%

Janata Party · 47.3% of the vote · majority

Most recent · 2023open →
163BJP
  • BJP16371%
  • INC6629%
  • BHRTADVSIP10%

Bharatiya Janata Party · 49.0% of the vote · majority

The turn of 1977

1977 seats minus 1972
seats lostseats gained
JNP
0 → 230
+230
INC
220 → 84
−136
IND
18 → 5
−13
RRP
0 → 1
+1
CPI
3 → 0
−3
BJS
48 → 0
−48
SOP
7 → 0
−7

Every time power changed hands

  1. 1977JNP took the house with 230 of 320, ending INC’s run (220 → 84).
  2. 1980INC took the house with 246 of 320, ending JNP’s run (230 → 2).
  3. 1990BJP took the house with 220 of 320, ending INC’s run (250 → 56).
  4. 1993INC took the house with 174 of 320, ending BJP’s run (220 → 117).
  5. 2003BJP took the house with 173 of 230, ending INC’s run (172 → 38).
  6. 2018INC took the house with 114 of 230, ending BJP’s run (165 → 109).
  7. 2023BJP took the house with 163 of 230, ending INC’s run (114 → 66).

Party identity

renames, splits and mergers along the way
  • Indian National Congress saw All India Trinamool Congress break away in 1998; saw Nationalist Congress Party break away in 1999; saw YSR Congress Party break away in 2011; saw NCO break away in 1969; saw INCU break away in 1979; saw ICS break away in 1978; saw BAC break away in 1966; saw UTC break away in 1969; saw HVP break away in 1996; saw AINRC break away in 2011; took in MSCP in 2014; took in ICS in 1986; took in NNO in 1976; took in HVP in 2004; took in VHP in 1978.
  • Bharatiya Janata Party broke away from Janata Party in 1980.
  • Janata Party saw Bharatiya Janata Party break away in 1980 (formed by former Jana Sangh bloc after the Janata Party split); saw JNPSC break away in 1979; absorbed Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1977; absorbed Swatantra Party in 1977; absorbed BLD in 1977; took in Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1977; took in Swatantra Party in 1974; took in BLD in 1977; took in NCO in 1977.