The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for the upcoming assembly elections, with a particular focus on Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, and Haryana.
These elections are highly anticipated, especially in Jammu Kashmir, where the last assembly elections were held in 2014.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the elected government collapsed in June 2018 after the BJP withdrew support from the coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The assembly was subsequently dissolved in November 2018 by then-Governor Satyapal Malik, citing the impossibility of forming a stable government.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh—J&K has been under the administration of a Lieutenant Governor, currently Manoj Sinha.
The Supreme Court has directed that elections in J&K be held before September 30, 2024. The Election Commission has already assessed preparations and has committed to conducting the polls, with the people of J&K eagerly awaiting the return of an elected government.
In addition to J&K, the terms of the legislative assemblies in Maharashtra and Haryana are also nearing their end, with their terms concluding on November 3 and November 26, respectively.
Maharashtra, with its 288 assembly seats, and Haryana, with 90 assembly constituencies, will also be gearing up for elections.
The Election Commission’s upcoming announcement will cover the key dates and procedures for these states as well.