Election date announcement live updates: Poll panel may declare Maharashtra, Jharkhand schedule today

Hours before the Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for Jharkhand and Maharashtra assembly polls on Tuesday, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding clearance of ₹1.36 lakh-crore in pending dues from coal companies.

Election date announcement live updates: Addressing reporters on the announcement that Jharkhand assembly election dates would be revealed today, JMM MP Mahua Maji said that the BJP must have been rattled by the work done by Hemant Soren and wanted to rus the elections.

She said,"The time for Maharashtra has come but there is still a month to go for our elections. This is a month of big festivals of Diwali and Chhath. If restrictions are put in this month, it will be problematic. But BJP runs the country in its own way."

Criticising the BJP, she added that during their tenure, "Jharkhand was known for trafficking of women to other states. Hemant Soren stopped this, and launched Mahila Sanman Yojana in the state."

Election date announcement live updates: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar responded to Congress leader Rashid Alvi's claims about EVM manipulation stating that they are completely foolproof.

Kumar said that EVMS are 100 per cent foolproof and the public will answer by voting.

Rashid Alvi had in his statement compared EVMs to pagers that had blown up in Lebanon saying that if Israel could hack those, the Indian government could mess with the EVMs as well.

Election date announcement live updates: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar took a jibe at the Mahayuti alliance and said that the upcoming elections would be a fight for Maharashtra's dignity which had been sacrificed to Gujarat.

In his statement to the press, the Congress leader said, “Our fight is to save the respect and dignity of Maharashtra. This govt has put the respect and dignity of Maharashtra at the feet of Gujarat. Due to this, the people of Maharashtra were waiting for elections, to take revenge.”

Election date announcement live updates: Congress's state president Nana Patole said on Tuesday that the Mahas Vikas Aghadi had not decided their seat sharing strategy yet but were ready for the elections, whose dates would be announced today at 3:30 pm.

He also stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would come to Maharashtra to declare the poll guarantees of the party as well.

Election date announcement live updates: Seven members of legislative council (MLCs) from the Mahayuti alliance will be sworn in last minute today under the Governor's quota ahead of the announcement of assembly election dates by the Election Commission.

The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for noon at Vidhan Bhavan, mere hours before the Election Commission of India's press conference announcement at 3.30 pm.

The move comes at a time when Opposition parties have been accusing the alliance of using underhanded techniques to win the elections.

Election date announcement live updates: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded to Congress leader Rashid Alvi's claims that the BJP would manipulate elections, stating that the Congress was already prepping for its defeat.

Poonawalla said that even before election dates were announced, the Congress had begun making excuses for its performance in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

In his statement he said, “This means writing is on the wall. They have accepted defeat even before the polls have started in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. They have given up even before the elections have been started. It also is an admission that 'EVM is a bahana, pariwar ko ek aur haar se hai bachana'.” (EVM is an excuse, they want to save the family from failure.)

Election date announcement live updates: Congress leader Manju Kumari joined the BJP in Ranchi today, hours before the Election Commission declared that it would announce the dates of assembly elections in the state.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha have alleged that the BJP had knowledge of the election dates being announced prior to the Election Commission's official announcement.

Non-BJP parties in Maharashtra and Jharkhand have both questioned the role of the Election Commission as a free and fair body as the announcement of poll dates is imminent.

Election date announcement live updates: A day before the Election Commission announced that poll dates would be declared for the Jharkhand assembly, a state cabinet minister and those close to him were raided.

Chief minister Hemant Soren stated that the Enforcement Directorate raid on the water and sanitation minister, his brother and his assistant, were all part of BJP's “political vendetta” ahead of elections.

Sanitation minister Thakur, who is being raided, told The Times of India that these were “pressure tactics” employed ahead of polls, as Thakur did not join the BJP

Election date announcement live updates: Congress leader Rashid Alvi reacted to the upcoming announcement of poll dates in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, calling into question the workings of the ECI and EVMs.

In his statement, he said, "EVM ka bada khel kahin bhi ho sakta hai aur uske liye BJP chunav se pehle yeh sab khel kar leti hai." (Manipulation of the EVM can happen anywhere and the BJP engages in many such activities before elections.)

The Congress leader's statement follows allegations by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha that the BJP was aware of the ECI announcing poll dates today ahead of time.

Election date announcement live updates: NCP-SP leader Anil Deshmukh reacted to the ECI's announcement that poll dates for the state will be announced today, expressing confidence in the MVA forming government.

The leader spoke about the Maha Vikas Aghadi's prospects and told news agency ANI, “We are well coordinated. The people of Maharashtra are angry right now. Farmers are angry because of the inflation. Big industries that could have come to Maharashtra went to other states. It caused a lot of loss to the youth here. We are going to form the government in Maharashtra.”

The Maharashtra assembly's current term will end on November 26.

In a post on X, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha put up a news article where chief minister Hemant Soren had claimed that the elections in Jharkhand would take place as per the convenience of the opposition.

The post added, “This was 1 month before the Jharkhand elections. Yesterday the BJP election in-charge said that the ECI will announce the elections today and the same thing happened. The boss has set everything up. What a scene!”

The post also tagged the Election Commission of India, asking “will you say something?”

Election date announcement live updates: Chief minister Eknath Shinde announced a toll-exemption for light-motor vehicles at 5 entry points into Mumbai, a day before the ECI is set to announce assembly election dates.

While the move was generally celebrated, the opposition has termed it as a “jumla” to distract from the criticisms surrounding law and order the Mahayuti government has faced.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said, "This is an election 'jumla'. Do not take it seriously."

Prithviraj Chauhan also called it a desperate move by an alliance that is likely to lose elections.

Election date announcement live updates: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance will contest all 81 seats in the upcoming election, chief minister Hemant Soren declared on Monday, ahead of poll dates being announced today.

Jharkhand's Vidhan Sabha is coming to an end on January 5, 2025.

“I participated in the JMM central committee meeting today along with all other workers and executive committee members. We reviewed our election preparedness and we are confident of winning the assembly elections. The JMM-led alliance will contest all the 81 seats,” said Soren.

The BJP is yet to announce its strategy in the upcoming elections.