The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced the schedule for assembly elections in five states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram. This announcement includes important details about the electoral process, including dates for filing nominations, polling days, and result declarations for all five states. The Election Commission convened a meeting of observers to strategize and ensure the smooth conduct of the polls. Various observer teams, including those responsible for police, general oversight, and expenditure, collaborated to streamline strategies aimed at enforcing the Model Code of Conduct and preventing the influence of money in the elections.
Election Schedule:
- Chhattisgarh: The election in Chhattisgarh will be conducted in two phases on November 7 and November 17.
- Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh will have a single-phase election, coinciding with the second-phase voting in Chhattisgarh on November 17.
- Rajasthan: Rajasthan will go to the polls in a single phase on November 23.
- Telangana: Telangana’s election will also be a single-phase affair, scheduled for November 30.
- Mizoram: Legislative elections in Mizoram will take place on November 7.
Key Highlights:
- The voting for these assembly polls will span from November 7 to November 30, 2023.
- The votes cast in these elections will be counted on December 3, 2023, setting the stage for the semi-finals leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Approximately 16 crore eligible voters will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in these elections.
- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar emphasized the implementation of strong measures to ensure that these polls are free from inducements or unfair influences.
- The political landscape of the five states is diverse, with different parties in power: Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana, and Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram.
- CEC Rajiv Kumar revealed that there will be a total of 1.77 lakh polling stations across these states, with 1.01 lakh equipped with webcasting facilities to enhance transparency.
- An encouraging sign for gender equality is that more than 8,000 polling stations will be managed by women.
The upcoming assembly elections promise to be a significant political event, and the Election Commission is committed to ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process in these five states. Stay tuned for more updates as the election season unfolds.