New Delhi, August 16: The Election Commission has announced the dates for the assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana on Friday, marking a significant development in the political landscape of these states. The detailed schedule for the elections has been released, outlining the process for both states.
Jammu & Kashmir Elections
The Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections will be held in three phases. The voting for the first phase will take place on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25, and the third phase on October 1. The results for these elections will be declared on October 4.
Assembly Seat Structure in Jammu & Kashmir: In the 2014 assembly elections, Jammu & Kashmir had 87 assembly seats, with 4 reserved for Ladakh. After the separation of Ladakh, 83 seats remained. Following the delimitation, 7 new seats were added—6 in Jammu and 1 in Kashmir. Currently, Jammu & Kashmir has a total of 90 assembly seats, with 43 in the Jammu division and 47 in the Kashmir division. There are 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
First Assembly Elections After Article 370 Abrogation: This election is of historical significance as it will be the first assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370. The central government had removed Article 370 on August 5, 2019, leading to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administering the region. After the elections, the new government will have a 5-year term instead of the usual 6-year term.
Haryana Elections
In Haryana, the assembly elections will be conducted in a single phase on October 1, and the results will be announced on October 4.
2019 Election Results in Haryana: In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 40 seats, falling short of the majority by 6 seats. Subsequently, the BJP formed the government with the support of JJP. However, JJP later withdrew its support, leading to the replacement of Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as Chief Minister.
Maharashtra and Jharkhand Elections
Maharashtra: The election dates in Maharashtra will be announced after the festival season. In the 2019 elections, the state had 288 assembly seats. BJP won 106 seats and was the largest party, but disputes over the Chief Minister position led to Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. In May 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion with 39 MLAs, later aligning with BJP. On June 30, 2022, Shinde took office as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, splitting Shiv Sena into two factions. On July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde government as Deputy Chief Minister.
Jharkhand: Elections in Jharkhand are expected around October 2024. In the 2019 elections, JMM, Congress, and RJD formed a coalition government. Jharkhand’s assembly has 81 seats, and a majority requires 43 seats. Currently, the coalition holds 46 seats. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested in January 2024 for a land scam but was granted bail and reinstated as Chief Minister on July 4, 2024.
Election Commission’s Remarks
Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar stated that after the successful completion of the Lok Sabha elections, the dates for the Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections have been announced. He noted that the long queues and peaceful voting are indicative of the strength of democracy. Kumar also mentioned that by-elections for 46 assembly seats across the country will be announced in due course. Due to natural disasters, by-elections in the Wayanad seat are currently not feasible.
Political Reactions
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir described the announcement of election dates as a happy day and criticized the central government for its inconsistent statements. He emphasized the demand from Jammu & Kashmir’s residents for their government to choose their representatives.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah noted that the announcement of election dates reflects the need for administrative changes. He mentioned that the announcement came as a surprise, showing a lack of preparation from the authorities.
This report presents all essential details and political context concerning the assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.