Why Maharashtra Assembly Elections Are Scheduled on a Wednesday: Election Commission’s Explanation

On Tuesday, the Election Commission of India announced that the Maharashtra assembly elections will take place in a single phase on November 20, 2024, with results expected on November 23. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that the decision to hold the election on a Wednesday was intentional, aimed at addressing urban voter apathy.

Kumar emphasized that holding the election mid-week, rather than on a weekend, was meant to encourage greater voter turnout in urban areas. He provided key dates for the election process, including the notification on October 22, the last date for nominations on October 29, and scrutiny on October 30. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 4.

In addition to Maharashtra, the Election Commission announced that Jharkhand’s elections will occur in two phases, on November 13 and 20, with the results for both states to be declared on November 23. Maharashtra has 9.63 crore eligible voters, while Jharkhand has 2.6 crore eligible voters.

The elections are set against the backdrop of intense political competition. In Maharashtra, the BJP, in alliance with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, aims to retain power. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, consisting of the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), is striving to reclaim control.

In Jharkhand, the Congress is partnering with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, as they seek to maintain power in the state.