The Election Commission will announce the schedule for assembly elections on Friday afternoon. An invitation sent to the media for a 3 pm press conference did not specify the states for which the election schedule would be released.
The terms of the Haryana and Maharashtra legislative assemblies end on Nov. 3 and Nov. 26, respectively. The poll panel also plans to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir before the Sept. 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.
The Election Commission recently visited Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana to oversee poll preparations, though it has yet to visit Maharashtra.
The Supreme Court’s ruling states that elections in Jammu and Kashmir must be held by Sept. 30, 2024. The region has been without an elected legislative assembly for five years.
In previous election cycles since 2009, the EC has held polls in Maharashtra and Haryana simultaneously, as their legislative terms end within a month of each other. However, there is precedent for the EC decoupling state elections that are traditionally held together, and this could be the case again.
The Indian Express learnt on Friday that the EC might schedule elections for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana together. A meeting was held with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday to address the EC’s request for security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Given the region’s security concerns, all candidates would require protection, leading to an increase in the demand for security personnel.
