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The Election Commission of India on October 6 announced polling dates for the five states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana.
Madhya Pradesh, with a total of 230 assembly constituencies, has had a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for three consecutive terms. The term of this government expires on January 7, 2019. The election will be held in a single phase on November 28.
Incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been recently caught between a rock and a hard place after the Centre formulated the amendments to the SC/ST Act overturning the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter. The state had earlier witnessed violent protests against the "dilution" of the Act by the apex court.
Rajasthan, also a big state with 200 assembly constituencies, has historically been a swing state. The state is currently governed by the BJP, with Vasundhara Raje as chief minister. Their term expires on January 20, 2019. Rajasthan will go to polls in a single phase on December 7.
Chhattisgarh has also been a BJP bastion with Raman Singh leading the government as chief minister for three consecutive terms. The state has 90 assembly constituencies. The incumbent administration's tenure will end on January 5, 2019. The process of election here will be held in two phases — first phase on November 12 and second phase on November 20.
Mizoram, with 40 assembly seats, is also a swing state, with governments alternating between the Congress and the Mizo National Front. The current government is that of the Congress with Lal Thanhawla as the chief minister. The current government's term will end on December 15, 2018. The election will be held in a single phase and the date of polls is November 28.
The Model Code of Conduct will come into effect in the aforementioned states effective immediately, the poll body added. Counting day for all states is December 11.
The Election Commission also announced the date for state assembly polls in Telangana along with the four aforementioned states. Telangana Chief Minister and Telugu Rashtra Samiti (TRS) President Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao had dissolved the state assembly prematurely on September 6. Telangana will go to polls in a single phase on December 7.
"It is incumbent on the Election Commission to hold the polls as soon as possible and not later than six months," Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said. However, as per protocol, Model Code of Conduct was imposed immediately after the assembly was dissolved, and a caretaker government was formed, Rawat added.
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