The Election Commission has announced the much-anticipated dates for assembly elections in five states - Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram. The voting will take place on different days from November 7 to November 30, with the results set to be counted on December 3. This election cycle is being dubbed as the "semi-finals" before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Approximately 16 crore voters are eligible to participate in these elections, and Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized their commitment to ensuring a fair and inducement-free electoral process.
Mizoram will kick off the polling on November 7 for all 40 assembly seats, alongside the first phase of voting for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh. On November 17, the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls alongside all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan will follow on November 23 with voting for all 200 assembly seats, while Telangana will be the last to go to polls on November 30.
As the dates were announced, political leaders from various parties shared their reactions:
"I urge everyone in the state to fulfill their responsibility in this festival of democracy and remove the corrupt and ineffective government and bring BJP to power," says former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.
"We (Aam Aadmi Party) are prepared and will be contesting in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh," says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
"In Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, which is scheduled for November 17, we will win with a clear majority based on the developmental and welfare works done under the leadership of our PM and our CM," says MP BJP chief V.D Sharma.
"I appeal to the public to come out in large numbers to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections as the elected government decides the future of the state and its people," says MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
"We have already announced three candidates in Rajasthan and will be announcing our candidates in Telangana soon. Our party is fully prepared for these elections. I am confident that people will support us for our work, accessibility, and availability, particularly in Telangana," says AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
"Congress is quite strong in all the poll-bound states and we will form the government in all these states," says Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
"This is the festival of democracy, and the BJP is fully prepared for this election. The way development has been brought over the last 18 years versus the 15-month corrupt government, I am confident that the BJP will win with a huge majority," says BJP spokesperson Neha Bagga
"The BJP is prepared for the elections and so are the people. In the last 4.5 years, Bhupesh Baghel’s government has made Chhattisgarh the hub of crime, corruption, drug addiction, and mafias and also disrupted the development of the state. This is why the people are ready to uproot the Congress government," says BJP Chhattisgarh chief Arun Sao
"We are confident (of victory). We certainly feel that we have delivered on a number of counts. There will always be some things which have not been able to done, but I had not thought that we would be able to do so much," says Chhattisgarh Deputy CM T S Singh Deo.
"The date of Assembly elections in the five states has been announced, which means that the countdown for PM Modi has begun. We believe that we will win in all the five states and we are well prepared," says Congress Jharkhand chief Rajesh Thakur.
"People of Madhya Pradesh are upset with the misgovernance of BJP. Congress will register a spectacular victory in the polls. We will contest the elections under the leadership of Kamal Nath," says Congress leader Digvijaya Singh
"Everyone should trust Election Commission as when they (Opposition) win, then the EC is fine, but when they lose, they create a ruckus about EVM. Wherever the election is due, no one should worry about BJP's performance. We will defeat them (Opposition) in all the states," says Union Minister Giriraj Singh
