Sharad Pawar, Thackeray slam PM Modi, EC for not declaring Maharashtra poll dates: ‘Boss isn’t giving permission…’

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) Chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech at the Red Fort during Independence Day. PM Modi, during his speech, had harped on the proposed ‘One Nation One Election’, however, on Friday the Election Commission of India did not declare the election dates for Maharashtra. The tenure of Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra Government is scheduled to end on 26 November.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections are speculated to be held in Maharashtra in 2024 to elect the 288 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Sharad Pawar on Saturday flagged, “In his speech from the Red Fort, the Prime Minister put forward the idea of ​​simultaneous elections in the entire country. Elections for Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana were announced, but elections for Jharkhand and Maharashtra were not announced”.

“The Prime Minister is talking about simultaneous elections, in such a situation, not announcing elections for Maharashtra is a contradictory thing.” the veteran politician added.

On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the Election Commission for not declaring dates of Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Thackeray said despite the talk of "one nation, one election", the ECI cited "constraint on security forces" as one of the reasons for not holding polls in Maharashtra simultaneously with J&K and Haryana.

Notably, the opposition INDIA bloc parties swept the Lok Sabha Elections 20204 in Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) bagging the most seats.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) had on Friday criticised the ECI for not declaring the poll schedule for Maharashtra along with that of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto argued the BJP-led Mahayuti, the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, is biding time with the help of the poll panel.

MVA had said it seems the ruling Mahayuti wants more time to "fool" the people of the western state with their fake promises.

Why EC wont hold Maharashtra polls with J&K, Haryana?

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 why election dates for Maharashtra were not announced CEC Rajiv Kumar said, “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.

Kumar added, “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."