New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) announced the much-awaited schedule for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections today at 3:30 pm. While the Maharashtra assembly elections with 288 seats will take place on November 20, with results to be declared on November 23. This announcement was made by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during a press conference on Tuesday.Kumar emphasized that India continues to set gold standards in every election, showcasing the nations commitment to upholding democratic values. The Jharkhand assembly term with 81 seats will be held in two phases, with the first on November 13, 2024, and the second phase on November 20, 2024, concluding on November 25, 2024. Alongside these state elections, the EC is expected to announce bypolls for three Lok Sabha seats and at least 47 assembly seats, including 10 in Uttar Pradesh.Bypolls expected for three vacant Lok Sabha seatsThe vacant Lok Sabha seats include Wayanad in Kerala, Nanded in Maharashtra, and Basirhat in West Bengal. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacated the Wayanad seat after retaining his Rae Bareli seat in the last general election. Additionally, Nandeds seat became vacant following the death of Congress MP Vasant Chavan, and the Basirhat seat is vacant due to the passing of TMC MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam.Schedule for General Election to Legislative Assembly of #Maharashtra,2024 to be held in a single phase.Details in images👇#MaharashtraAssemblyElections2024 #ECI #Schedule pic.twitter.com/XF4FXebtJR— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) October 15, 2024Political battle lines drawn in MaharashtraIn Maharashtra, the electoral face-off is set between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Congress, Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawars NCP. With 288 assembly constituencies in total, Maharashtra has 234 general constituencies, 25 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 29 for Scheduled Tribes (ST), with over 9.63 crore registered voters ready to cast their ballots.#WATCH | Delhi: CEC Rajiv Kumar says, First of all I would like to congratulate voters in Haryana and J&K for their empowered participation in the polling. The people of J&K made the festival of democracy historic. They participated in large numbers, used their right to exercise… pic.twitter.com/S2jiNVwyhC— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2024Jharkhands fierce contest between BJP and JMMIn Jharkhand, the primary contest is expected to be between the BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), with the Congress playing a supporting role as part of its alliance with the JMM. While several regional parties are in the fray, the direct competition between BJP and JMM will be crucial in deciding the states political future.Schedule for General Election to Legislative Assembly of #Jharkhand to be held in two phases.Details in images👇#JharkhandAssemblyElections2024 #ECI #Schedule pic.twitter.com/mVOfJ5D7Pw— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) October 15, 2024
