What Is It The Election Commission Wants To Counter In Jharkhand And Maharashtra Assembly Polls?

The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly Elections. Voting in Jharkhand will occur in two phases on November 13 and 20, while Maharashtra will conduct its polling in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes for both states is set for November 23, 2024. The Commission has also announced the dates for by-polls for vacant Lok Sabha seats.

In the context of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has declared 10 candidates, all of whom are Muslims. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) demonstrated its strength by winning 30 out of 48 seats. In Jharkhand's assembly, which comprises 81 seats, the INDIA bloc currently holds 44 seats, while the BJP has secured 30, leaving seven seats vacant.

During a recent press conference, Kumar emphasized the need to address the persistent issue of low voter turnout in urban centres such as Mumbai and Pune. Historically, urban voters often combine polling day with weekend getaways, leading to decreased participation. He urged citizens in urban areas to take their voting responsibilities seriously, stating, "We are genuinely concerned about urban apathy and appeal to all voters to come and vote. This trend is not healthy."

Kumar pointed to alarming statistics, noting that in Maharashtra, voter turnout in 62 of the 64 urban assembly constituencies was below the state average during the last elections. Areas like Gurgaon, Faridabad, Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, Bengaluru South, Gandhinagar, Colaba, Pune, and Thane also reported significantly lower turnout figures. He announced plans for a special meeting with municipal commissioners to reinforce the importance of voting.

ECI On Haryana's Voter Turnout

In the recent Haryana elections, even affluent areas saw turnout rates dropping below 20%. Kumar assured that the Election Commission would implement a targeted outreach campaign to enhance voter engagement in urban regions, aiming to counteract this troubling trend before the upcoming elections.