At 3 p.m. today, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to release the schedule for the assembly elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Haryana. The poll body is also anticipated to reveal the dates of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which hasn’t had an elected House in the past five years.
Polling body to hold press conference to announce schedule
The polling body indicated that it would hold a news conference to announce the general election schedule to the states’ legislative assemblies.
Assembly elections are scheduled for Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand within the next five months. Maharashtra and Haryana Vidhan Sabha periods will finish on November 3 and November 26, respectively, while Jharkhand’s will conclude in January of next year.
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Supreme Court directed to hold J&K elections by September 30
Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are also scheduled on September 30, following the Supreme Court’s directive. Jammu and Kashmir hasn’t had an elected government since 2018.
Previously, the poll board held assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana simultaneously, while Jharkhand’s elections were held separately.
The notification will include dates for various stages of the election process, such as nomination filing, polling days, and results declaration.
The Election Commission recently visited Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana to assess poll preparedness, but has yet to visit Maharashtra.
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Since Article 370 was abrogated, J&K has been under the rule of Lieutenant Governor
The polling authority is “committed” to holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as feasible, according to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s statement last week. He also added that the people of the Union Territory will respond appropriately to “disruptive forces.”
Earlier in 2019, the former state was divided into two Union Territories, and its unique status under Article 370 was revoked. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled by the Lieutenant Governor.