16 August,2024 09:41 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the schedule for assembly elections on Friday at around 3 pm, reported news agency ANI.
An Election Commission invite to the media for a press conference around 3 pm did not mention the states for which the election schedule would be announced, reported PTI.
Elections are due in Haryana, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections are also due in Maharashtra later in the year. Sources told ANI that the poll body will announce the schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir today.
The schedule will include dates of filing of nominations, polling and declaration of results. On August 14, The Election Commission held a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, reported ANI.
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In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024, reported ANI.
Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years as the last assembly elections was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
Recently, a poll body delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the poll preparations in Jammu and Kashmir. During a press conference in Jammu during the visit, Kumar had emphasised that the commission is committed to holding elections there "at the earliest", reported ANI.
The term of the current government in Haryana will end on November 3, 2024, and elections are scheduled on 90 legislative assembly constituencies in the state. After the 2019 Elections, the BJP with 40 seats in the 90-member assembly formed a coalition government with the JJP. The JJP had won 10 seats while the Congress had won 31 seats. The BJP-JJP alliance broke earlier this year. In 2024, Haryana is likely to see a four-way contest between the BJP, the Congress, the JJP and the AAP, reported ANI.
The election commission is likely to announce the schedule for the assembly elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly later.
(With inputs from ANI)
