Maharashtra And Jharkhand Assembly Elections: ECI To Announce Dates Today

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is poised to unveil the schedule for the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections during a press conference on Tuesday at 3:30 PM.

The term of the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly is set to conclude on November 26, necessitating that the election process be finalized before this date.

Photo Credit: PTI

Jharkhand And Maharashtra: ECI To Announce Dates Today

Similarly, the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly will see its term end on January 5, 2025. In addition to these elections, the ECI is expected to announce dates for approximately 50 pending by-elections, including the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Congress Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi after his victories in both Amethi and Wayanad earlier this year. The Congress party has declared that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest for the Wayanad seat.

In Maharashtra, the ruling coalition known as Mahayuti-which comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party-will face off against the Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

In Jharkhand, the incumbent Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), part of the INDIA bloc, will compete against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and the BJP.

In preparation for the elections, the Maharashtra Cabinet recently recommended raising the annual income limit for the OBC non-creamy layer from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh. Additionally, on Monday, the government announced a toll tax exemption for light motor vehicles entering Mumbai.

Originally, the announcement of the Maharashtra Assembly elections was anticipated alongside the schedules for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir elections in August. However, the ECI decided to separate these election timelines. Historically, the Haryana and Maharashtra elections have been held together for the past three cycles.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that the decision to decouple the elections was made due to the heightened need for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, following a Supreme Court directive that mandated the elections be completed before September 30.