Why was Maharashtra's Assembly poll date delayed? ECI explains the hold-up
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Aug 16, 2024, 5:48 PM ISTKumar also stressed that the Election Commission has the authority to schedule elections up to six months before the end of a Legislative Assembly's term, allowing for greater flexibility in the electoral calendar.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday (August 16) announced the dates for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, while notably withholding the schedule for Maharashtra. This decision marks a departure from the last election cycle when Maharashtra and Haryana held their assembly elections simultaneously.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar cited security and weather-related reasons for postponing the Maharashtra polls. He explained that the ongoing monsoon season in Maharashtra has caused delays in updating the voter list, a critical component of the electoral process. Additionally, the state is currently in the midst of significant cultural and religious observances, including Pitru Paksha, Diwali, and Ganesh Chaturthi, which have further complicated the election timeline.
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"Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections were held together. At that time, J&K was not a factor, but this time we have four elections this year and a fifth one immediately after. Given the requirements of security forces and the heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, we have decided to conduct two elections together and postpone the Maharashtra polls," CEC Kumar said.
Kumar also stressed that the Election Commission has the authority to schedule elections up to six months before the end of a Legislative Assembly's term, allowing for greater flexibility in the electoral calendar. He assured that the Maharashtra elections will be announced later, once all necessary preparations are in place.
The delay in announcing Maharashtra's election dates sparked reactions from political leaders. Aaditya Thackeray, former state minister and leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, criticized the Election Commission and the Union government. Thackeray accused the BJP of failing to protect the people of Jammu and Kashmir, despite years of claiming improved security in the region. He suggested that the delay in Maharashtra’s elections was politically motivated, giving the ruling coalition time to "loot" the state.
"This illegal and unconstitutional regime of BJP and [CM] Eknath Shinde has no moral right to continue. The state has rejected them once and will reject them again. It seems like the EC is giving them breathing time," Thackeray posted on social media platform X.
The Maharashtra elections are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, once the Election Commission deems the situation conducive for polling.
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