Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7 in what may be a virtual semi-final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7 in what may be a virtual semi-final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Counting of votes will be taken up together in all the five states on December 11, the Election Commission announced Saturday. While Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be held on November 28. Polling in Rajasthan and Telangana will be held on December 7, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat announced.
The model code of conduct, which bars the ruling party and even other parties from disturbing level playing field, came into force in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram immediately. The term of the Madhya Pradesh assembly is ending on January 7, Rajasthan on January 20, Chhattisgarh of January 5 and Mizoram on December 15.
Putting in place security arrangements for the polls, the Union Home Ministry has ordered for the deployment of about 25,000 troops for election duties in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
These paramilitary and state police personnel, part of the additional 250 companies to be sent in for the polls, have been asked to take position by October 15 in states assigned to them. While 50 fresh companies each have been marked to be sent to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the highest of 150 such teams have been earmarked by the ministry to be sent to Chhattisgarh that has its southern part affected by a high-level threat of Maoist violence.
A single state police or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) company has about 100 personnel. This time, to ensure "wholesome and constructive participation" of persons with disabilities in the election process, the Commission has decided to issue accessible photo voter slips with braille features to persons with visual impairment.
1. Can Congress stop Shivraj juggernaut in MP?
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Congress demanded that the EC ensure "free and fair" polls while the BJP said that it had resolved to make the state a "prosperous" one.
The Election Commission Saturday announced polls in five states, with voting in Madhya Pradesh slated for November 28.
Counting of votes will take place on December 11 in MP along with Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana, the EC announced.
"We welcome the announcement of polls in Madhya Pradesh on November 28. Now it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that free and fair polls are conducted and model code of conduct is strictly followed," Kamal Nath, Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former union minister, said Saturday.
"The BJP government remains in poll mode for entire five years and it has turned the state from developing to developed during the last 15 years. Now, the party will ensure that in the next term, the state will become prosperous," state BJP vice president Vijesh Lunawat told PTI.
MP in Central India is one of the oldest BJP strongholds long before it became a pan-Indian entity. So, a Congress win in MP will significantly dent BJP's morale ahead of Lok Sabha polls. How costly will be Mayawati going alone in MP. We will know soon?
2. Can Vasundhara Raje buck the trend?
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Filing of nominations for the Rajasthan Assembly elections would start on November 12 and end on November 19, state Chief Election Commissioner Anand Kumar said Saturday, hours after the Election Commission of India announced the state will go to the polls on December 7.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat announced Saturday the dates for Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
While addressing a press conference after the announcement, the Rajasthan chief election commissioner said the Model Code of Conduct in the state has come into force with immediate effect.
Counting of votes will be held on December 11, Kumar said. A total of 4,74,79,402 would exercise their franchise through VVPAT machines across Rajasthan, he said.
The chief electoral officer said, "Of the 200 seats, 34 were reserved for SC and 25 for ST categories." He said Rajasthan's final electoral rolls published on Friday showed an increase of over 67.53 lakh voters compared to the 2013 Assembly elections.
There were 4,74,79,402 voters in Rajasthan in the final electoral rolls for the 2018 Assembly elections, including 2,47,60,755 males and 2,27,18,647 females, besides 1,13,642 service voters.
PM Modi on Saturday in his first electoral rally in the state expressed hope that BJP will again come to power by bucking the existing trend. In last few elections, the voters have alternately opted for BJP and Congress in Rajasthan. Vasundhara Raje facing a massive anti-incumbency has a mountain to climb and will probably hope for a Modi wave to cross the finishing line.
3. Will KCR's gambit pay off?
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In Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had dissolved the assembly on September 6, paving way for early elections.In Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is seen to be going strong and will face contest from the Congress and the BJP. After winning 63 seats in the 2014 assembly polls, the TRS' ranks have swelled with members of rival parties joining it over the years. The state assembly has 119 seats.
KCR who has steered away from opposition's Mahagathbandhan after a brief interaction would like to win the assembly polls to be in a position of great power during the Lok Sabha polls. KCR is confident that voters are with him and with a fragmented opposition yet to get its act together, Telangana can turn out to be a one-sided affair.
4. Two phase polling in Chhattisgarh
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Like in the past, Chhattisgarh will have elections in two phases. In the first phase, 18 seats in south Chhattisgarh affected by left wing extremism will go to polls and in the second phase voting will be held in 72 seats in the northern parts of the state, CEC Rawat said.
Responding to a question, he defended the decision to have two phases, saying in the past too, voters, political leaders and security personnel have been targeted by Naxals and it was necessary to have polls in multiple phases.
Congress though believes that two-phase polling will help BJP and has accused EC of bias.
5. Stern test for Raman Singh
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Raman Singh who has been CM of the state since 2003 is fighting anti-incumbency and burden of heavy expectations. However, under his rule the law and order situation has considerably improved and the state has shown progress in various paramerers.
The absence of an united opposition may prove to be lucky for BJP as traditionally the difference between the two major parties have been wafer thin in the state. BJP has won but never swept the state.
This time Congress thought a Mahagathbandhan can oust BJP. However, Mayawati has scuttled such plans.
6. Can Congress hold on to its North-East bastion?
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Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S B Shashank Saturday said the state election machinery was fully prepared to conduct elections to the 40-member Assembly on November 28.
Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat in New Delhi announced that polling in Mizoram would be held on November 28.
The CEO told reporters here that Mizoram has a total electorate of 7,68,181 people including 3,93,685 female voters. Shashank said that the electorate would cast their votes in 1,164 polling stations where EVMs would be used for the polls.
He said that 1,859 ballot units and 1,841 control units of EVMs would be used along with 1,751 VVPATs in the elections.
Tight security arrangements would be made to ensure peaceful, free and fair polls by deploying 48 companies of state police and 40 companies of central paramilitary personnel, the CEO added.
Major political parties in Mizoram have welcomed the announcement of the poll date to the 40-member state legislative Assembly by the Election Commission of India.
Since 2008, Congress is in power in the hilly state. But BJP one by one has weaned away many North Eastern states from Congress fold. It will try to do the same in Mizoram and it will take a spirited fight from the grand old party to stop BJP on their tracks.
