Maharashtra to Vote on November 20, Jharkhand in Two Phases; Results Expected on November 23

The Election Commission stated on Tuesday that the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections will be held in two stages, beginning November 13. Jharkhand will vote in two phases, on November 13 and 20, whereas Maharashtra will vote in one phase on November 20. The vote counting in both states will take place on November 23.

The Commission also scheduled dates for other Lok Sabha byelections, including Kerala's Wayanad seat, which Rahul Gandhi left following his victory in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.

A recap of the 2019 Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections

In the 2019 Jharkhand election, Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, which is part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), won 47 out of 82 seats.

In Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena (then undivided) won a combined 161 of 288 seats. However, the alliance failed due to power-sharing concerns, and the Sena formed a coalition to govern alongside the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. This partnership lasted until 2023, when internal rebellions headed by Eknath Shinde of the Sena and Ajit Pawar of the NCP brought the government down, forcing Uddhav Thackeray to retire.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections

Looking ahead to the 2024 election, the BJP, now in power alongside Sena and NCP sections that broke away from Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, hopes to sustain its momentum following the historic April-June general election, which saw Narendra Modi win a third term as Prime Minister.

After a disastrous Lok Sabha election outcome in which the ruling Mahayuti alliance won only 17 of Maharashtra's 48 seats, Chief Minister Shinde is relying on his welfare scheme, the Ladki Bahin Yojana, which pays a ₹1,500 monthly stipend to underprivileged women, to gain support from voters. The ₹46,000-crore initiative is expected to be a game changer, comparable to Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana, which helped the BJP retain power in the state despite anti-incumbency.

The Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections are vital for Congress given its defeat in Haryana, where it was widely expected to win but fell short, as well as its poor showing in Jammu and Kashmir. The party's leadership within the INDIA opposition alliance is under criticism, particularly after regional allies criticised Congress for its unwillingness to accommodate smaller partners, a stance that reportedly contributed to the Haryana setback.

2024 Jharkhand Assembly Elections

In Jharkhand, the election rhetoric is expected to revolve around Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was detained earlier this year on money laundering charges but was released on bail in June. Soren has continuously disputed the allegations, claiming that the BJP staged his arrest to divide the opposition ahead of the general election.

These next state elections are the final phase of voting in 2024, following big wins and losses for both the BJP and Congress in crucial states, including Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Odisha. The BJP's alliance in Andhra Pradesh, where its ally, the Telugu Desam Party, defeated Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress, strengthens its position as the new year begins.