[caption id="attachment_210971" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat flanked by Election Commissioners Sunil Arora (L) and Ashok Lavasa (R) address a press conference to announce the dates for Assembly elections in five states, in Delhi, Saturday, Oct 6,2018. ( PTI Photo/ Kamal Singh) [/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Oct. 6: Setting the stage for a high-voltage poll battle between different political parties in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram, and Chhattisgarh ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat announced on Saturday that the elections in the five states will be held between November 12 and December 7 this year.
Elections for Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be held on November 28, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to the polls on December 7, and Chhattisgarh on November 12 and 20, announced Rawat at a press conference that was delayed by about two-and-a-half hours. Voting will take place in a single phase in all the states except in Chhattisgarh which will be done two phases.
Counting of votes in all the five states will be done on December 11, 2018.
All eyes are on the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram as many see it as a prelude to what may unfold during the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to take place next year.
The model code of conduct, which is set by the Election Commission of India to ensure free and fair elections, has come into force in the four states with immediate effect after the election dates were announced. Meanwhile, the set of guidelines has been in force in Telangana since last month after the assembly was dissolved.
Elections notification for Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be issued on November 2 while the last date for nominations is November 9 and scrutiny to be done on November 12. The last date of withdrawal is November 14
For Rajasthan and Telangana states, notification will be issued on November 12, while the last date for filing nominations is November 19 and scrutiny to follow on the next day. Prospective candidates can withdraw their nominations on or before November 22.
Notification for the first phase of election to be held in 18 constituencies (Moist-affected areas) of Chhattisgarh will be issued on October 16 and the last date for filing nominations is October 23, followed by scrutiny on the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 26.
Meanwhile, notification for the polls in the second phase that will be held in 72 constituencies will be issued on October 26, while the last date of filing nominations is November 2 and scrutiny on the next day. The last date for the withdrawal of the nominations is November 5.
It may be mentioned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently ruling in Madhya Pradesh (230 seats), Rajasthan (200 seats) and Chhattisgarh (90), while Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is in power in Telangana (119 seats), and Congress in Mizoram (40 seats).
