On 9th October (Monday), the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for upcoming assembly elections in five states, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram.
The upcoming assembly elections are scheduled to commence on 7th November 2023, with the counting of votes to take place on 3rd December 2023.
According to the timetable provided by the ECI, the voting process in these five states will be conducted across several phases, with the election dates for each state outlined below:
1. Chhattisgarh: It will go to polls in two separate phases. The first phase of voting will take place on 7th November, while the second phase of voting will happen on 17th November.
2. Rajasthan: The state of Rajasthan will have elections in a single-phase manner and the voting will take place for assembly elections on 23rd November.
3. Madhya Pradesh: Elections in Madhya Pradesh will also take place in a single-phase election on 17th November.
4. Telangana: Similar to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the nearly decade-old state of Telangana will go to polls in a single-phase manner with the voting to be held on 30th November.
5. Mizoram: The Northeastern state of Mizoram will also witness its state election in a single-phase manner with voting to be done on 7th November.
The counting of votes for these state assembly elections will take place on 3rd December.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated that the poll panel has completed consultations with all stakeholders, including political parties and enforcement agencies as part of preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in these five states.
It is estimated that total voter strength includes 8.2 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters, along with 60.2 lakh first-time voters. To cater to this sizable electorate, the ECI has set up 177,000 polling stations across the five states. Moreover, to promote transparency and oversee the voting process, webcasting facilities will be accessible at 101,000 booths.
Earlier, on 6th October (Friday), the ECI had asked poll observers to be visible, accessible, neutral, and ethical in their functioning.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar directed them to ensure a level playing field by working in a coordinated manner to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free polls.
Additionally, he stated that the ECI was “increasingly concentrating on having a humane face, by facilitating and including persons with disabilities, senior citizens who are 80 years or above and particularly vulnerable tribal groups with the help of special provisions such as home voting and accessible polling stations.”
