The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the schedule for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand today. The poll dates will be revealed during a press conference scheduled for 3:30 pm.
The term of Maharashtra's assembly will conclude on November 26, while Jharkhand's term ends on January 5, 2025.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has reportedly reached a consensus on 230 out of 288 assembly seats. NCP leader Praful Patel said, "We have reached an agreement on 225 to 230-235 seats. Once the remaining seats are settled, we will make an announcement in the next few days."
This comes after BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule noted that talks on 90% of the seats were already complete, with the remaining 10% expected to be finalized shortly.
According to reports, the BJP is likely to contest 140-150 seats, while the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may field candidates for 80 seats. The NCP is expected to contest 55 seats.
On the opposition side, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), has reached an agreement on 210 out of the 288 seats. Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) mentioned that the MVA would soon announce its list of candidates. Congress leader Nana Patole expressed confidence, stating, "The MVA will contest all 288 seats and form the next government in Maharashtra."
In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance will contest all 81 seats in the upcoming elections. He voiced optimism in the alliance's chances of retaining power in the state.
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