NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Monday announced that the assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17. Besides, MP, the poll body also announced the schedule for assembly polls in four other states – Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana. According to the EC, elections in the northeastern state of Mizoram will be held on November 7. Similarly, the polling in Chhattisgarh will take place on November 7 and November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30.
The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states. The announcement of poll dates was made by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference here. Of the five states, polling in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases.
Madhya Pradesh: Important Dates To Remember
According to the poll panel, the gazette notification will be issued on October 21 and candidates will be able to file their nominations till October 30. The date for scrutiny of nominations has been set for October 31 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be November 2. The polling for the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be held on November 17 in a single phase
As per the CEC, the entire process will be completed by December 5.
Coinciding with the EC announcement, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has said voting for Congress is like throwing the vote in the dustbin, drawing a sharp reaction from the opposition party which termed his remarks as an “insult” to the electorate. Importantly, Vijayvargiya is the BJP candidate from Indore 1 seat for next month’s Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.
“Today, the country, Madhya Pradesh and Indore need Bharatiya Janata Party. There are BJP governments in the country, state and city. What is the meaning (of) voting for Congress? Voting for Congress means throwing it (the vote) in the dustbin kept at home?” he said. He said there is no point in voting for the Grand Old Party which “neither knows how to do development, nor is it concerned about the values and culture”.
Model Code Of Conduct Comes Into Force
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. Rajiv Kumar was accompanied by the two Election Commissioners at the press conference. The elections to five states are crucial as these come months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year.
Congress and BJP are the key players in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Telangana is expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress and BJP. Madhya Pradesh assembly has 230 seats. In the 2018 elections, Congress won 114 seats with a vote share of 41.5 per cent while BJP got 109 seats with a vote share of 41.6 per cent.
Congress government lost the majority in 2020 following the resignations of some MLAs considered loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who later joined the BJP. The BJP came to power in the state with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Chief Minister.
Rajasthan has 200 seats with Congress almost winning a majority in the state in 2018 by wresting 99 seats. The party had a vote share of 39.8 per cent and has ruled the state for the past five years with Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister BJP won 73 seats with a vote share of 39.3 per cent in the 2018 polls.
In Telangana, the ruling BRS won 88 of 119 seats and a vote share of 47.4 per cent in the 2018 elections. Congress came at a distant second with 19 seats and a vote share of 28.7 per cent.
Congress stormed to power in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 elections, winning 68 of 90 seats in the state assembly. The party had a vote share of 43.9 per cent. BJP won 15 seats and had a vote share of 33.6 per cent.
In a 40-member Mizoram assembly, Mizo National Front bagged 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent to emerge victorious in the 2018 polls. Congress secured five seats and BJP won one seat.
