15 October,2024 06:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
ECI Rajiv Kumar speaks to the press on October 15 on the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Pic/PTI
The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule for the Assembly elections for Maharashtra and Jharkhand on Tuesday, October 15.
The poll body officials said the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, while the counting will held three days later.
Jharkhand will vote in two phases: November 13 and 20. The counting for Jharkhand will also be held on November 23.
The term of Maharashtra Assembly will end on November 26, while that of Jharkhand Assembly will conclude on January 5, 2025.
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Along with the two states, EC has also said that the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on November 13. The seat has been vacant after Rahul Gandhi, who fought from Wayanad and Raebareli, took oath as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from the Uttar Pradesh-based constituency.
Bypolls to Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand and the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra also to be held on November 20.
PIC/Election Commission of India
The upcoming election will feature a two-way contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Congress, and the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
In the recent parliamentary elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti won just 17 of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats, with the party's own share of seats falling to nine, down from the 23 five years ago. Meanwhile, MVA secured 30 seats.
The BJP and undivided Shiv Sena formed the government in 2019 but later split following some political drama. In the 2019 assembly election, the BJP won 105 seats and the Congress won 44 seats.
The term of the Jharkhand State Assembly is set to expire on January 5, 2025, with elections scheduled for 81 constituencies (44 General, 9 SC, 28 ST) across the state.
Jharkhand will go to polls on November 13 and 20, with the counting to be held on November 23, along with Maharashtra.
PIC/Election Commission of India
A delegation from the ECI, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on September 24 conducted a thorough review of poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand at Ranchi, directing central and state enforcement agencies to curb the influence of money power.
In the 2019 elections, Jharkhand conducted polling in five phases, whereas Maharashtra had just one phase.
Speaking to ANI here today, BJP national spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari said, "BJP and NDA is fully prepared for Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. We are confident that like Haryana, Maharashtra will vote for a pro-incumbency government which is the BJP-led NDA government."
"The people of Jharkhand are frustrated because of vote bank and corrupt politics of Hemant Soren and they are eager to vote for a pro-development, pro-tribal government under the BJP. We are confident that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, both the state governments will see a BJP government."
