Voice
9, Delhi Bureau: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to
announce the timetable for the forthcoming assembly elections in five states -
Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana .
According
to news agency PTI, the poll panel has organized a press conference today at 12
PM to disclose the dates for polling, the number of phases, and the dates for
filing and withdrawing nominations. The legislative assemblies in these five
states are set to expire between December 2023 and January 2024. As per the
usual practice, the ECI announces the election schedule approximately six to
eight weeks before the expiration of the legislative assembly's term.
These
upcoming assembly elections will serve as a significant test for all major
political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main
opposition Congress, and the regional parties. Currently, the Congress holds
power in two of the five states - Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while the BJP is
the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh.
The
Bharat Rashtra Samiti, led by KCR, holds power in Telangana, and the Mizo
National Front (MNF) is in power in Mizoram. Earlier, sources from the EC
informed India Today that polling is likely to take place between the second
week of November and the first week of December. According to EC sources,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, and Telangana may have a single-phase
voting, similar to the previous elections in 2018.
In
Chhattisgarh, it is anticipated that polling will be conducted in two phases,
as it was in 2018. The polling dates for all five states may vary. The counting
of votes will occur simultaneously in the five states between October 10 and
15, as per the sources.
