The ECI is likely to release the dates of the subsequent assembly polls today itself at 3 PM as assembly elections are imminent in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
The term of the legislative assembly in Haryana and Maharashtra is ending on November 3 and November 26, respectively. On the other hand, the term for the legislative assembly of Jharkhand is up to January 2025. Considering these timelines, the ECI is in a position where it has to quickly come up with the finalization of the election schedule to announce. Perhaps the most important point of this statement is the expected elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which have not taken place since 2014. This is a notable gap, especially following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which led to the bifurcation of the region into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The ECI wants to hold assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir before the apex court’s deadline of September 30, 2024. This would create a basis for a restoration of democracy in a part of the country that has been under direct control from the center for almost a decade. Recently, the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar visited the region to assess the electoral processes in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at a press conference in Jammu, he said, “We are committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and we will not let any internal or external forces derail the election. All political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are batting strongly for holding assembly elections as soon as possible.”
