Election Commission poll dates announcement LIVE UPDATES: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat is expected to announce the schedule for the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram elections on Saturday. (PTI Photo/File)
The Election Commission Saturday announced dates for the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana. With the announcement of the poll dates by the ECI, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect.
The election in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases, in the first stage, elections will be held in 18 assembly constituencies on November 12. In the second phase, the election in 72 constituencies will be held on November 20. Legislative elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be held on November 28. Meanwhile, in Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls on December 7 in a single phase.
Counting of votes in all five states will be held on December 11, 2018, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat announced in the press conference.
Mizoram’s 50-member House expires on December 15, 2018. Chhattisgarh’s Assembly, comprising 90 members, ends on January 5, 2019. The tenure of the Madhya Pradesh 230-member House expires on January 7, 2019. The 200-member Rajasthan House expires on January 20, 2019. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently dissolved the House to avoid a possible clubbing of Assembly polls with the Lok Sabha elections.
Also Read | Model Code of Conduct comes into force after EC declares poll dates for five states
Date of issue of gazette notification: November 12, 2019
Last date of nomination: November 19, 2018
Scrutiny of nomination: November 20, 2018
Last date of withdrawal of candidature: November 22, 2018
Date of polling: December 7, 2018
Date of counting: December 11, 2018
The Election Commission has said that the people of Rajasthan will vote on December 7 and the results will be out on December 11, 2018.
Date of issue of gazette notification: November 12, 2019
Last date of nomination: November 19, 2018
Scrutiny of nomination: November 20, 2018
Last date of withdrawal of candidature: November 22, 2018
Date of polling: December 7, 2018
Date of counting: December 11, 2018
Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will be done on December 11, the EC has announced.
Date of issue of gazette notification: November 2, 2018
Date of polling: November 28, 2018
Date of counting: December 11, 2018
In the last assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP had won 166 seats in the House and elected Shivraj Singh Chouhan as CM.
The issue of Notification: Nov 02
Last date of nomination: Nov 09
Scrutiny of nominations: Nov 12
Last date of withdrawal of nominations: Nov 14
Election day: Nov 28
Counting of polls: December 11
Counting of votes in all five states will be held on December 11, 2018, the Election Commission announced in a press conference. By-polls in Shimoga, Bellary and Mandya in Karnataka to be held on November 03.
Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram assembly elections to be held on 28th November. In Rajasthan and Telangana the elections will be held on December 7 in a single phase.
More from India
The election in Chhattisgarh to be held on November 12 in affected areas in 18 assembly constituency. In the second phase, the election in 72 constituencies will be held on November 20.
Model code of conduct to come into force in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram with immediate effect.
Simultaneous elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, before 15th December: CEC OP Rawat in Delhi
ECI says voter assistance kiosk to be set up at all booths during the assembly elections in all the states. With regard to EVM and VVPAT, the ECI chairman said that all the machines being used are latest Mark III and have been produced at BEL. Mock polls will be conducted before the start of polls.
CEC urges political parties to use eco-friendly material to prepare campaign material.
Mizoram’s 50-member House expires on December 15, 2018. Chhattisgarh’s Assembly, comprising 90 members, ends on January 5, 2019. The tenure of the Madhya Pradesh 230-member House expires on January 7, 2019. The 200-member Rajasthan House expires on January 20, 2019. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently dissolved the House to avoid a possible clubbing of Assembly polls with the Lok Sabha elections.
ECI chairman clarifies that certain compulsion forced the commission to change the timing of the press conference to announce the election dates earlier in the day. The chairman declines to make any comment on Congress allegations against the Commission.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said it has "waited too long" for the Congress and will now "consult" the BSP and the Gondwana Gantantra Party for an alliance in the Madhya Pradesh polls. The move comes days after BSP president Mayawati parted ways with the Congress, alleging that the Rahul Gandhi-led party was adopting a stubborn attitude and it was out to finish her party.
The commission is likely to announce the poll schedule for Telangana as well. The KCR-led government in the state had dissolved the assembly nine months before the end of its term. The election code of conduct comes into play with immediate effect in these states.
After the Congress alleged that the Election Commission's press conference today was delayed due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha has claimed the same. "Unfortunate that Election Commission postponed announcement of election dates in 5 states only to enable Modi to address his public meeting in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Very sad," he tweeted.
The Congress has been in power in Mizoram since 2008. In 2013, it had won the Assembly election after securing 34 seats in the 40-member House. Lal Thanhawala was elected Chief Minister of the state.
Here's an advertisement in The Indian Express today by the Election Commision on VVPAT machines — an independent printer system attached with the EVM that allows voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. Since 2000, the EC has used EVMs in state Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.
The Election Commission may announce dates for the Telangana Assembly elections as well. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently dissolved the House to avoid a possible clubbing of Assembly polls with the Lok Sabha elections. KCR's Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) won 82 seats in the 120 member House. It was the first elected government in the state after bifurcation. Read more here.