Assembly Elections 2023: ECI to announce poll dates for 5 states today

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the polling dates for upcoming elections in five states at a press conference in Delhi today. These five states are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram, news agency ANI reported. 

The election body usually announces the polling dates and election schedule 6-8 weeks prior to the expiry of the term of the legislative assembly. The terms of legislative assemblies in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram are due to expire between December 2023 and January 2024. 

Last week, the ECI had organised a briefing for general, police and expenditure observers for the upcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram. During this meeting, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) directed observers to ensure a level-playing field by working in a coordinated manner to ensure free, fair and inducement-free elections. 

At present, there is BJP government in Madhya Pradesh led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have Congress governments led by Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel respectively. 

Telangana, on the other hand, has the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao whereas the Mizo National Front (MNF), a BJP ally, is in power in Mizoram. 

The term of Mizoram legislative assembly ends on December 17 this year. In the 40-member legislative assembly, the ruling MNF has 27 members, main opposition party Zoram People's Movement has six members, the Congress has five members and the BJP has one. 

Moreover, the BJP has declared 79 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh elections so far including Union Ministers such as Narendra Tomar, Prahlad Patel, and party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Tomar, Patel and Vijayvargiya are being seen as the possible contendors for the post of chief minister. Other notable candidates fielded by the saffron party are MPs Ganesh Mantri, Rakesh Singh and Reeti Pathak. 

Earlier, India Today had reported citing sources that polling is likely to be held between the second week of November and the first week of December. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram may vote in a single phase just like the last time, sources within the Election Commission told India Today. 

They added that polling is likely to be held in two phases in Chhattisgarh just like 2018.  

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