EC SCHEDULES FIVE-STATE ASSEMBLY POLLS FROM 7 NOV

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram to hold elections till 30 November; results will be on 3 December.

- ASHISH SINHA

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will go to the Assembly polls between 7 and 30 November, and the counting of votes will be on 3 December, the Election Commission said on Monday, setting the stage for what is being seen as the semi-final between the BJP and Opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Announcing the election schedule at a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said single-phase Assembly polls will be held in Madhya Pradesh on 17 on 23 November, Rajasthan November, Telangana on 30 November and Mizoram on 7 November, while Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases on 7 November (20 seats) and 17 November (70 seats).

With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct has come into force in the five states. The EC has written to the Cabinet Secretary and chief secretaries of the five states to ensure provisions of the model code are enforced immediately.

The high-stakes polls will be a litmus test for the Congress, the biggest party in the fledgling I.N.D.I.A bloc which is in power in two of the four big states, while a lot is riding for the BJP as well, as the results are bound to have a major bearing on the discourse in the run-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election bid next year.