Election Commission To Announce Dates For Assembly Polls Today, J&K Schedule Likely

The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand today at 3 pm.

Also, it is highly anticipated that the polling body may also reveal the dates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, which have been eagerly awaited since the region's reorganisation.

The legislative assemblies of Maharashtra and Haryana are nearing the end of their terms, with Maharashtra's assembly term concluding on November 3 and Haryana's on November 26.

Jharkhand's assembly term will end in January 2025, which sets the stage for elections in the coming months.

Historically, the Election Commission has conducted the Maharashtra and Haryana elections simultaneously, while Jharkhand has had separate polls.

In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, the situation is particularly noteworthy. Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which led to the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories-Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh-there has been no elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since 2018.

The Supreme Court's ruling on Article 370 has now imposed a deadline of September 30, 2024, for holding assembly elections in the Union Territory.

The Election Commission has recently visited Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana to assess the poll preparedness but has yet to visit Maharashtra.

During a recent statement, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized the Commission's commitment to conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible, expressing confidence that the people of the Union Territory would respond strongly to any disruptive forces.

Today's announcement by the Election Commission will detail the timeline for the entire electoral process, including key dates for filing nominations, polling days, and the eventual declaration of results.