BJP leaders plan for early state elections

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the poll-bound states of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for the possibility of assembly elections being advanced by at least a month, as the electoral exercise, scheduled for February next year, will coincide with the Census, people aware of the matter said.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

There is a possibility that Manipur, which was otherwise scheduled to go to the polls with these states, may have elections at a later date given the sporadic instances of unrest, added one of the people, asking not to be named.

Manipur, roiled by Kuki-Meitei clashes since 2023, has, in the past few months, seen a flare-up in Kuki-Naga clashes.

The main reason for considering bringing the elections forward is staffing.

“Enumerators and polling personnel are likely to be drawn from the same pool-mostly teachers and government employees- which will lead to manpower shortage. The possibility of assembly polls being advanced has been discussed in all the states,” said a senior BJP functionary who asked not to be named.

Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase, a house listing exercise currently underway, and the second leg, the Population Enumeration (PE) scheduled for February 2027. Caste enumeration will also be done during the second phase of Census.