With political tug of war pacing up in Madhya Pradesh ahead of assembly elections, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday took a pot shot at the Congress party and said that when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government in 2003, condition of the state was "miserable".

"In 2003 when we formed government, the condition of Madhya Pradesh was miserable. Congress had pushed the state in darkness. We have put our efforts into the development of the state. The economy that had sunk was strengthened and revived by us," Chouhan said at a rally here.

Single phase assembly polls in the state will be held on November 28 to elect representatives of the 230 constituencies. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.

The election in Madhya Pradesh is being seen as a direct political battle between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government will try to win for the fourth consecutive term, while the Congress will be fighting to regain power after 2003.

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