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New Delhi : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 6, 2018, announced dates for the Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Telangana states. The Assembly polls in these 5 states will be held between November 12, 2018, and December 7, 2018. The counting of votes will be taken up in all the five states on December 11, 2018.
The polls in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 12, 2018, and November 20, 2018, while in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram it will be held on November 28, 2018. In Rajasthan and Telangana, the polls will be held on December 7, 2018. The Governor of Telangana had on September 6, 2018, prematurely dissolved the Telangana Legislative Assembly with immediate effect.
The Commission has prepared the Schedules for holding General Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram & Telangana after taking into consideration all relevant aspects like climatic conditions, academic calendar, major festivals, prevailing law and order situation in the State, availability of Central Police Forces, time needed for movement, transportation and timely deployment of forces and in-depth assessment of other relevant ground realities, according to a PIB release.
The Commission has sought active cooperation, close collaboration and constructive partnership from all the stakeholders in the electoral process and strives to employ the collective synergies towards delivering a smooth, free, fair, peaceful, participative and festive General Assembly Elections, 2018 in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram & Telangana.
With the announcement of polls schedule, the Model Code of Conduct(MCC) comes into effect immediately. All the provisions of the Model Code will apply to the whole of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram & Telangana and will be applicable to all candidates, political parties and, the State Government of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram & Telangana, announced Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat at a presser on October 6, 2018.
The Model Code of Conduct shall also be applicable to the Union Government insofar as announcements/policy decisions pertaining to/for these States are concerned. These instructions have been issued in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for compliance by the field election machinery.
In Chhattisgarh, the first phase of polls for 18 out of the 90 seats will be held on November 12, 2018, while the second phase polls for 72 seats will be held on November 20, 2018.