EC To Announce Poll Dates For Jharkhand, Maharashtra Assembly Polls By Next Week: Reports

The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in the coming week, with polling likely to take place in the second or third week of November, reported the Times Of India.

Taking into account the upcoming festive season, which begins with Diwali, a five-day celebration from 29 October to 3 November, and continues with Chhath (widely observed in Jharkhand and also a reason for the temporary migration of Bihari voters working in Maharashtra to their hometowns) and Dev Deepawali, the EC may choose to schedule the elections towards the end of the second week of November.

Photo Credit: PTI

This would allow time for migrant voters to return to the areas where they are registered after the festive period.

By-elections for over 45 assembly seats across various states, along with the Lok Sabha constituencies of Wayanad and Basirhat, may also be included in the upcoming assembly polls.

Wayanad became vacant following the resignation of its MP, Rahul Gandhi, who opted to retain his Amethi seat, while Basirhat requires a by-election due to the death of sitting Trinamool MP Sheikh Nurul Islam.

The Maharashtra assembly's term ends on 26 November, while Jharkhand's assembly is set to expire on 5 January 2025.

In the 2019 elections, Jharkhand had five phases of polling, compared to just one in Maharashtra.

Given that the Election Commission successfully held the Jammu and Kashmir elections in three phases, as opposed to the previous six or seven, it's possible that the Jharkhand polling may conclude more swiftly.