EC won’t hold Maharashtra Assembly Elections with Haryana, J-K, cites ’rains, Ganesh Chaturthi...’

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: The Election Commission did not announce the dates for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on Friday. The poll body announced full schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

When asked if Maharashtra Assembly Elections will be held along with the Haryana polls, the Election Commission said, “Maharashtra and Haryana elections happened together. That time J&K was not a factor, so one could have gone a little later. This time there are four elections this year and fifth elections immediately, to start with J&K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi."

Citing other reasons for not holding Maharashtra elections with Haryana polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, “Depending on the requirement of forces...which is in higher tone in J&K, we have decided to conduct two elections together. We can't announce other elections when J&K elections are happening."

CEC Kumar added, “Rains in Maharashtra and there are several festivals as well – Ganesh festival, pitra paksh, Navratri, Diwali...All that put together we thought to do two elections this time.”

“We could handle two elections at a time…and in any case, it is [elections can be held] within six months of the term of the assembly which is ending,” Kumar said at a press conference on Friday.

The Election Commission held a press conference on Friday to announced election schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

The Haryana Assembly elections will be held in single phase on October 1. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections will be held three phases – on September 18, September 25 and October 1.

The results will be declared for both Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections on October 4, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced.

Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies, according to the Election Commission. Meanwhile, in Haryana, there are a total of 2.01 crore voters in Haryana, of which 1.06 crore are males, 0.95 crore are women, 4.52 lakh are first-time voters and 40.95 lakh are young voters.