EC may announce Maharashtra, Jharkhand poll dates next week; voting likely Mid-November: Report

The Election Commission is likely to announce the dates for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in the coming week, with polling likely to be scheduled for the second or third week of November, according to a report by The Times of India.

In light of the festive season, starting with Diwali (October 29 to November 3), followed by Chhath Puja—widely observed in Jharkhand and a reason for temporary migration of Bihari electors working in Maharashtra—and Dev Deepawali, the Election Commission is considering scheduling the elections towards the end of the second week of November, the TOI report added. This timeline would provide enough time for migrant voters to return to the places where they are registered as electors after the festivities.

In addition to the assembly polls, by-elections for over 45 assembly seats across different states and the Lok Sabha seats of Wayanad and Basirhat are expected to coincide with this election cycle. The Wayanad seat fell vacant after Rahul Gandhi resigned to retain his other constituency, Amethi, while the death of Trinamool MP Sheikh Nurul Islam triggered the Basirhat by-election.

The term of the Maharashtra legislative assembly ends on November 26, while the Jharkhand assembly will expire on January 5, 2025. In 2019, Jharkhand’s assembly election was held in five phases, while Maharashtra completed polling in a single phase. However, with the Election Commission successfully reducing the number of polling phases in Jammu and Kashmir from 6-7 to three, there is speculation that the Jharkhand polls may be conducted more swiftly this time around.