The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the assembly elections today. The Election Commission will hold an important press conference at 3 pm today. Meanwhile, the dates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana will be announced. Along with this, the dates for the by-elections to be held on Gidderbaha, Barnala, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabewal seats in Punjab can also be announced.
However, most eyes are on the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir because this will be the first time voting will take place after the removal of Article 370. According to Election Commission sources, voting may take place in three to four phases in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. After the completion of the voting process in September, the election results can be declared by the end of this month.
Let us tell you that recently the Central Election Commission visited Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission team visited the Union Territory between 8 and 10 August, after which they went to Haryana. The team met Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, during which they took stock of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The notification issued by the Election Commission mentions the Legislative Assemblies. In such a situation, there is every possibility that the date of elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will be announced.
Let us tell you that on December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had ordered the Election Commission to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. The court's order was part of the decision on the petitions challenging the abolition of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court had said that Jammu and Kashmir should be given the status of a state as soon as possible and elections should be held there.