When Will The Assembly Elections In Maharashtra Be Held?

The Election Commission has announced polling dates for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir but faced criticism for delaying the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), have accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance of seeking extra time to mislead voters with unfulfilled promises.

The Election Commission cited the need for additional security forces for the Jammu and Kashmir polls and the busy festival season in Maharashtra as reasons for the delay. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that heavy rains in Maharashtra had hampered the updating of the voter list, a crucial step in the electoral process.

Kumar suggested that Maharashtra's elections might occur after Diwali, mentioning the heavy rains and numerous festivals, such as Ganesh Festival, Pitru Paksha, Navratri, and Diwali, as factors influencing the decision. "Handling two elections at a time, given these conditions, was deemed challenging," Kumar stated.

According to The Times Of India, Maharashtra's elections are expected to be held after October 4, alongside the Jharkhand elections. The current term of the Maharashtra government ends on November 26, and the elections will be scheduled before that date. The term of the Jharkhand government ends on January 5, 2025.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the MVA won 31 out of 48 parliamentary seats in Maharashtra, while the ruling alliance secured only 17 seats.

Meanwhiile, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has expressed interest in collaborating with the MVA to challenge the ruling BJP. Former MP Imtiaz Jaleel, AIMIM's state unit president, confirmed the party's willingness to join forces with the MVA. "We are offering to collaborate with the MVA to defeat the BJP. It's up to them to decide if they want us in the alliance," Jaleel said. He added that AIMIM is prepared to proceed independently if necessary, depending on the MVA's response.

The MVA coalition consists of the Congress, the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, and the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. In contrast, the ruling NDA includes a faction of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and a faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.