The Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on 21 October, the CEC said on 21 September. Counting will take place on 24 October.
Haryana has 1.82 crore registered voters and Maharashtra has 8.94 crore voters.
By-elections will be held in 64 constituencies across 18 states and union territories as well on 21 October. Counting will take place for the same on 24 October.
- Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held on 21 October
- Votes will be counted in both states on 24 October
- The 288-member Maharashtra Assembly’s term ends on 9 November
- The 90-member Haryana Assembly’s term comes to an end on 2 November
- The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of dates
- By-elections in 64 constituencies will be held on 21 October and polls counted on 24 October
Cong Releases Haryana Manifesto, Special Focus on Women
The Congress, on Friday 11 October, released its manifesto for the upcoming Haryana elections, on 21 October. The party released the manifesto, with a special focus on women voters, news agency PTI said.
The party, in its manifesto is eyeing a 33 percent reservation for women in government and private jobs, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said.
The part also promises to tackle the drug menace in the state, by forming a Special Task Force to keep a check on the same.
The party also promised 50 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institution, municipality corporations and city councils.
Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja announced a loan waiver for farmers in the state if voted to power.
The party also promised to give an annual scholarship of Rs 12,000 to students from Class 1 to 10 and Rs 15,000 for students from class 11 to 12 who belong to Scheduled Caste community and extremely backward class, she said.
Congress-NCP Alliance Will Come to Power: Thorat
The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra, state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said on Saturday.
"There is a lot of resentment among people about the the BJP-Sena government, and they want a change. Voters will bring the Congress-NCP and their allies back to power with a thumping majority," Thorat said.
The seat-sharing formula between the Congress, NCP and other allies was almost finalised, he said. Under the BJP-led government, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of farmer suicides in last five years, Thorat said.
Election Machinery Ready for Polls: CEO Baldev Singh
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, Baldev Singh, on Saturday said the state election machinery is geared up to conduct Assembly polls in a "free, fair and transparent" manner.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Singh said enrollment of new names in voter list will continue till the end of the process of filing of nomination papers.
"We intend to ensure that voting percentage rises as compared to 60.32 percent in 2014 assembly elections, 50.67 percent in 2009 assembly elections and 60.79 percent in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he added.
Compared to the 2014 assembly elections, the number of voters has increased by 59,17,901, he said.
Polling stations in the state have increased by 5,325 in the last five years, Singh said.
A total of 1.80 lakh EVMs will be deployed in the elections on 21 October elections, he added.
Maharashtra Polls: Congress, NCP to Raise 'Economic Decline', Joblessness
Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said the Congress would take on the saffron parties on these issues as well as on "the attempts to dismantle opposition parties".
"We will take on the ruling party and the government on issues facing the people," Chavan told PTI. He said some leaders may have defected from the Congress-NCP camp "but the common people are with us".
"We will raise the dictatorial attitude of the ruling party to finish off the Opposition," the former chief minister said.
Meanwhile, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik exuded confidence that there will be a change of guard in the state. On the issues his party was planning to highlight, the NCP leader said, "Unemployment is on the rise, the problem of economic slowdown has deepened and the number of farmers' suicides has gone up. The people are waiting for the change of guard, which is bound to happen".