Why EC has decoupled Maharashtra, Haryana polls for 1st time in nearly two decades

CEC Rajiv Kumar

For the first time in nearly two decades, elections in Haryana will not take place alongside Maharashtra.

The Election Commission on Friday announced the poll schedule for both J&K and Haryana. J&K will vote in three phases from September 18 to October 1 while Haryana will vote in a single phase on October 1. The results will be declared on October 4.

However, it did not announce the poll schedule for Maharashtra, where the term of assembly will expire on November 26.

This will be the first time in nearly 20 years that the two states will go to polls separately. It was in 2004 when assembly elections were held in Maharashtra alone. Haryana went to polls a few months later in 2005. But since 2009, both states have been going to polls together.

In 2019, elections in both Haryana and Maharashtra were held on October 21.

The reason behind this is manpower.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said that since J&K will go to polls this year, heavy security deployment will be needed in the Union Territory.

“Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections were held together. At that time, J&K was not a factor, but this time, there are four elections this year and the fifth election immediately after this, which is to start with J&K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Depending on the requirement of forces, we have decided to conduct two elections together. The other factor is that there was heavy rainfall in Maharashtra and there are several festivals lined up too ...” he said.

J&K required nearly 700 companies of paramilitary forces for deployment and security of candidates, and the UT will see a three-phase election.

Moreover, since Maharashtra is a large state, the poll panel will have to deploy heavy security over there too for the assembly elections.

Since Haryana's assembly term will wrap up earlier on November 3, it was easier for EC to club it with J&K.

Notably, the poll panel team is yet to even visit Maharashtra and Jharkhand to review the situation in the states before announcing the poll schedule.

Elections are due in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand by the end of this year.