Voters to seal fate of five states

New Delhi: Ending all suspense, the Election Commission on Monday announced the dates for the Assembly polls in five states, being considered the “semi-final” before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The polls will be held in two phases in Chhattisgarh and in a single phase in the other four states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram — between November 7 and 30.

The counting for all the five states will take place on December 3.

Announcing the election schedule at a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that given the security requirements in the state, Chhattisgarh will go to the polls on November 7 (20 seats) and 17 (70 seats). Polls will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23, Telangana on November 30 and Mizoram on November 7.

Chhattisgarh has 90 Assembly seats, Rajasthan 200, Madhya Pradesh 230, Telangana 119 and Mizoram 40. Nearly 16 crore voters would be eligible to cast their votes in these elections and the five states will have 1.77 lakh polling stations, of which 1.01 lakh will have webcasting facilities.

In Telangana, a fierce battle is on cards between the principal rivals BRS and Congress for the next 50 days.

The BRS, banking on its blend of development and welfare, will be sweating it out for a third term — a record in South India if it happens — for its supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. While Congress is hopeful that Rao would himself prove to be a liability in view of the usual boredom setting in among the electorate coupled with anti-incumbency, the third force, the BJP, Party is pinning hopes on a “silent revolution”. The saffron party as its senior leader B.L. Santosh puts out, is confident of capturing power predicting a hung Assembly.

“The overall development is visible and all the parameters of economic performance of the States assessed by the Centre corroborate it. No state can match Telangana,” said BRS working president and minister K T Rama Rao at a recent media interaction. He has been listing out government’s achievements in a variety of sectors at his public meetings.

While his elevation as Chief Minister is imminent in the event of BRS coming back to power, his loyalists were elated over Rama Rao having gained transition acceptance even before the event has taken place.

The Congress on the other hand is on the path of resurgence ever since A. Revanth Reddy took over as TPCC chief. Despite stiff resistance from senior leaders, he managed to build the Congress image as a party-in-waiting succeeded in gaining acceptance of the rank and file.

The party got a fillip after its victory in Karnataka, which eliminated the BJP as the possible alternative in Telangana. The Congress is confident that its Six Guarantees, social welfare measures aimed at winning women and farmers, have proved to be an equaliser with the BRS. The worst fear for Congress is yet to be over as tremors are expected once the list of candidates is out.

The BJP lost its steam following the twin blow of loss in Karnataka polls, which prevented the much anticipated migration from other parties, and replacement of its state chief Bandi Sanjay in a move that angered even its own cadre. “Instead of grooming our own leaders we wanted to import from other parties and it is proving costly,” admitted a senior BJP leader.

The All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen, a force in Telangana politics not because of its numbers in the Assembly but due to its strong presence in several pockets, openly gave a call to its voters to support BRS wherever MIM is not in fray. It is still in a dilemma on whether or not to contest beyond the seven or eight seats in the city where it is sure of win to prevent Congress from consolidating its position among minority vote.

The 20 seats that will be going for the polls in the first phase on November 7 in Chhattisgarh are areas of high-security concerns, largely affected by left-wing extremism: Pandariya, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Jagdalpur, Chitrakot, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta.

“The commission has prepared the schedule for holding the general election to the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana after taking into consideration all relevant aspects like climatic conditions, the academic calendar, board exams, major festivals, the prevailing law and order situation in the state, the availability of Central armed police forces, time needed for movement, transportation and timely deployment of the forces and in-depth assessment of other relevant ground realities,” Kumar said.

He added that for the first time a new Election Seizure Management System was being introduced for the Assembly polls to enhance oversight to ensure inducement-free elections. A total of 940 checkposts have been put in place for a strict vigil along inter-state borders and to dry up the inflow of illicit liquor, cash, freebies and drugs, he said. “There will be zero tolerance for the use of money power and there will be strict vigil over suspicious online cash transfers through wallets as well,” the CEC said.

The political parties have already become active for the high-stakes polls that will see the Congress, which is in power in two of the four states, pitched against the BJP in a direct contest. To boost its chances in these states, the BJP had announced its list of candidates much in advance.

Expressing confidence that his party will form a government in all the states, BJP president J.P. Nadda said on X: “The BJP will form a government in all states with a big majority under respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and will work with commitment to fulfil people's aspirations in the next five years.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for unity and discipline among party cadres ahead of the polls. “As we approach the upcoming Assembly elections and the general election, it is important that the party works with meticulous coordination and complete discipline and unity,” he said at a meeting. Mr Kharge also said there is renewed enthusiasm among the cadre after decisive victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.