ECI announces Maharashtra polls on Nov 20, Jharkhand voting in two phases starting Nov 13; ; results on Nov 23

On October 15, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed the schedule for the forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Voters in Maharashtra will head to the polls on November 20, while Jharkhand will conduct elections in two phases on November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes for both states is set for November 23.

The ECI held a press conference in New Delhi at 3:30 PM on Tuesday to share these updates. The current term of the Maharashtra assembly, which consists of 288 members, will conclude on November 26, while Jharkhand's assembly term expires on January 5, 2025.

Key Points for Maharashtra Assembly Elections:

The upcoming elections in Maharashtra will witness a significant face-off between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the Shiv Sena-UBT, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, against the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).

In the last assembly elections in 2019, the BJP secured 105 seats, while the Congress won 44. However, in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's performance declined, winning only nine out of 48 seats, a sharp drop from the previous 23 seats, whereas the Maha Vikas Aghadi captured 30 seats.

Key Points for Jharkhand Assembly Elections:

The term of the Jharkhand assembly is set to end on January 5, 2025, with elections anticipated for 81 constituencies, including 44 General, 9 Scheduled Castes (SC), and 28 Scheduled Tribes (ST) seats.

On September 24, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the electoral preparations in Ranchi, emphasizing the need for agencies to mitigate the influence of money in elections. In the 2019 elections, Jharkhand conducted voting over five phases. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari expressed confidence in securing a pro-incumbency vote for the BJP while criticizing the governance of Hemant Soren and predicting a BJP-led administration in Jharkhand.

A Look Back at the 2019 Elections:

The previous assembly elections in Maharashtra occurred on October 21, 2019, with results announced on October 24. Meanwhile, Jharkhand's elections took place in five phases from November 30 to December 20, 2019, with results declared on December 23. These elections were crucial in influencing the political dynamics in both states, with the alliances and outcomes playing a significant role in governance.