Reasons Why Election Commission Didn’t Announce Assembly Poll Dates For Maharashtra
Reasons Why Election Commission Didn't Announce Assembly Poll Dates For Maharashtra
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedules for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana on Friday. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are set to be held in three phases starting from September 20, while Haryana will go to the polls on October 1, with results for both states expected on October 4.
However, the anticipated announcement for the Maharashtra assembly elections was notably absent. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that the decision to delay the Maharashtra poll schedule was due to security requirements for the Jammu and Kashmir elections.
“In the past, Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections were conducted simultaneously, as Jammu and Kashmir was not a factor at the time. This year, however, we are managing four major elections initially—Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand—followed by another in Delhi shortly after,” Kumar stated.
He further highlighted that due to the necessity of deploying security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and considering the recent heavy rainfall and upcoming festivals in Maharashtra, the ECI decided to stagger the elections. This strategic decision ensures that adequate security and logistical arrangements are in place for each state.
The current Maharashtra legislative assembly, consisting of 288 members, will complete its term in October 2024. The upcoming election in Maharashtra is expected to be a two-way contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes UBT Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and the Congress, and the MahaYuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The 2019 elections saw the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena forming the government before a split occurred later.
