Maharashtra, Jharkhand Elections

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with the two Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu announced the schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections on Tuesday.

Maharashtra election:

Date of polling - November 20, 2024 (Wednesday)

Date of counting - November 23, 2024 (Saturday)

Jharkhan election:

Date of polling

Phase 1 on November 13, 2024 (Wednesday)

Phase 2 on Novemver 20, 2024 (Wednesday)

Date of counting - November 23, 2024 (Saturday)

Bye polls

The EC also announced bye polls for three vacant parliamentary constituencies.

The date of polling for Wayanad in Kerala is scheduled on November 13 while bye polls in Maharashtra's parliamentary constituency Nanded and Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand have been scheduled on November 20 by EC.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates at 3.30 pm press conference heeld at the Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital.

The term of the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly will end on November 26 and that of the Jharkhand Assembly, with 81 seats, will end on January 5, 2025.

Similarly, the term of the Jharkhand Assembly, with 81 seats, will end on January 5, 2025. 

With the schedule to be announced by the ECI, the model code of conduct will also come into effect.

All the political parties in both states will name their candidates and begin campaigning.

In Maharashtra, the contest is chiefly between the ruling Mahayuti coalition - the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party - and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance (the INDIA bloc) will take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and the BJP.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)