Blitz Bureau
Maharashtra will go to polls in a single phase on November 20, while assembly elections in Jharkhand will be conducted in two phases on November 13 and November 20. The counting will take place on November 23 in the two states. With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in both states.
Announcing the poll schedules in New Delhi on October 15, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the notification for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly election will be issued on October 22 and candidates can file their nominations till October 29. He added that over one lakh polling booths will be set up for 9.63 crore voters in the state.
In Jharkhand, the notification for the first phase of voting will be issued on October 18 and candidates can make their nominations till October 25. For the second phase of polling in the state, the notification will be issued on October 22 and the nomination can be filed till October 29. The CEC said that 2.6 crore voters will exercise their franchise at over 26 ,000 polling stations in the state.
The Election Commission also announced the schedule for by-election in 48 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats. The bypolls for 47 assembly constituencies in different states and the Wayanad Parliamentary seat will be held on November 13. The bypolls for one assembly seat in Uttarakhand and Nanded Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra will be conducted on November 20.
Kumar said that the Commission is committed to free and fair as well as inducement-free and violence-free elections. He said every process of polling will be fully videographed.
Kumar reiterated that the Electronic Voting Machines are 100 per cent foolproof, amid opposition allegations of manipulation in the EVMs.
The Chief Election Commissioner also appealed to the voters of Maharashtra and Jharkhand to come out in large numbers to participate in the festival of democracy.
