Maharashtra state polls likely between October 15-25, dates after Ganesh Visarjan

Ruling and opposition parties expect announcement of model code of conduct and the schedule for the ensuing assembly election any time after September 12 which is the last day for the ongoing Ganpati festival. The polling is likely to take place between October 15 and 25 while the new chief minister is expected to take oath of office and secrecy by October 31.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora is scheduled to hold meeting with officers of the Maharashtra government on September 5 to review state's preparedness for holding assembly election. ''The Election Commission will make a formal announcement after the proposed review. Depending on the availability of central security forces, the Election Commission will decide poll dates and whether the polling for 288 seats to be conducted in one or two phases,'' senior bureaucrat said. Parties have launched extensive voters' outreach. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is BJP's CM candidate again, is currently on Maha Janadesh Yatra in which he hopes to cover about 160 of the total 288 assembly constituencies. On the other hand, BJP's ally Shiv Sena's youth leader and Chief Ministerial nominee Aaditya Thackeray has launched Jan Aashirwad Yatra in a bid to increase party's presence across the state.

Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are also not an exception. Congress is currently engaged in Pardaphash Yatra to expose state government's various development claims. NCP, which is struggling to keep its flock together due to mass exodus to BJP and Shiv Sena, is busy in its Shiv Swarajya Yatra.

State revenue minister and Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil recently said that the assembly election might be held between October 15 and October 20. He also informed that the model code of conduct might come into force by September 15.

Patil's view was shared by the state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar last week predicted that the model code of conduct will be announced on September 12 while polling to take place on October 15 for 288 assembly segments. He reminded that the polling for the assembly election in 2014 had taken place almost during the same period.

Both Patil and Mungantiwar also predicted that BJP led government will come back to power. State water resources minister Girish Mahajan predicted that the state assembly election could be held either on October 10 or October 13 while the model code of conduct might come into force from September 10 or September 15. He added that Congress and NCP together would not cross 50 seats.

A POLITICAL BATTLE

• CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is BJP’s CM candidate again, is on Maha Janadesh Yatra in which he hopes to cover about 160 of the total 288 assembly constituencies
   
• Congress is engaged in Pardaphash Yatra to expose state govt’s various development claims