Mumbai: The Election Commission of India has announced the dates for the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections. Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20, 2024, while Jharkhand’s elections will take place in two phases—on November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes for both states is scheduled for November 23, 2024.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
Maharashtra, with 288 Assembly seats, will see voters go to the polls on November 20. Of these, 234 seats are in the general category, while 25 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 29 for Scheduled Castes (SC). The state has 96.3 million registered voters.
The gazette notification for Maharashtra will be issued on October 22, with the last date for filing nominations set for October 29. Scrutiny of nominations will occur on October 30, and candidates have until November 4 to withdraw.
Jharkhand Assembly Elections
Jharkhand, with 81 Assembly seats, will vote in two phases—on November 13 and November 20. Votes will be counted on November 23. The state’s political landscape is dominated by the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is part of the INDIA bloc, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
In the 2019 Assembly elections, Hemant Soren’s JMM won 30 seats, while the Congress secured 16 seats, enabling Soren to become Chief Minister. The upcoming elections will test the strength of Soren’s leadership as the INDIA bloc and NDA prepare to battle it out in the state.
Political Landscape in Maharashtra
Maharashtra’s political scenario is marked by the rivalry between two major alliances: the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar, and the Indian National Congress; and the Mahayuti Alliance, consisting of the BJP, the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.
The 2019 Maharashtra elections saw the BJP win 105 seats and Shiv Sena 56, but a political fallout over power-sharing led to the formation of the MVA government under Uddhav Thackeray. In June 2022, Eknath Shinde broke away from Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, forming a government with BJP support. Shinde currently serves as Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis is the Deputy Chief Minister.
The MVA is gearing up for the upcoming elections, with no reported disputes over seat-sharing among the alliance partners. The MVA plans to contest all 288 constituencies. On October 15, the MVA released a document titled “gaddarancha panchnama” (record of traitors), criticizing the Eknath Shinde-led government for allegedly prioritizing Gujarat’s interests over Maharashtra’s.
Recent Developments
Ahead of the Assembly elections, seven new Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) were sworn in Maharashtra on October 15, just hours before the Election Commission’s announcement. This move comes as the term of the current Maharashtra Assembly is set to end on November 26, 2024.
Election Schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand
Maharashtra Assembly Election Schedule:
- Date of Gazette Notification: October 22, 2024
- Last Date for Nominations: October 29, 2024
- Scrutiny of Nominations: October 30, 2024
- Last Date for Withdrawal: November 4, 2024
- Polling Date: November 20, 2024
- Counting of Votes: November 23, 2024
Jharkhand Assembly Election Schedule:
- Phase 1 Polling Date: November 13, 2024
- Phase 2 Polling Date: November 20, 2024
- Counting of Votes: November 23, 2024
As both Maharashtra and Jharkhand prepare for these critical elections, the political environment in both states is heating up, with major parties working hard to secure voter support ahead of the polling dates. These elections will also serve as a key indicator of political trends ahead of the 2024 General Elections.
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