The upcoming state elections in India are garnering significant attention as they are often referred to as ‘semi-finals’ leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Approximately 16.1 crore individuals are expected to exercise their voting rights in this election phase.
Here is an overview of the election schedule:
- The Madhya Pradesh Assembly election is set to take place in a single phase on November 17.
- Rajasthan will follow with its election on November 23.
- Telangana will hold its election on November 30.
- The election round will commence with Mizoram casting its votes on November 7.
Chhattisgarh stands out in this election cycle as it will conduct voting in two phases. The first phase will coincide with Mizoram on November 7, while the second phase will align with Madhya Pradesh on November 17. The results for all these elections will be declared on December 3.
The significance of these state elections is attributed to their proximity to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. They are often seen as a preliminary test of political strength and public sentiment.
Recalling the outcomes of the 2018 polls:
- In 2018, the Congress secured victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. However, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh faced instability when Jyotiraditya Scindia and nearly two dozen legislators from the party joined the BJP, leading to the fall of Kamal Nath’s government.
- In Chhattisgarh, the Congress emerged victorious with 68 seats, compared to the BJP’s 15 seats. The Congress also secured a 43 percent vote share in the state’s 90-seat Assembly.
- In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP and Congress had a close contest, with the BJP winning 109 seats and the Congress 114 seats out of 230 Assembly segments.
- Rajasthan’s 200-seat Assembly saw the Congress winning 100 seats, while the BJP secured 73 seats in the last election. The Congress formed the government with support from the Bahujan Samaj Party, which won six seats.
- Telangana, the sole southern state in this election phase, has 119 seats, with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi winning 88 seats in 2018. The Congress secured 19 seats, and AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, won seven. The BJP won one Assembly segment.
- Finally, in Mizoram, the Mizo National Front emerged victorious in the 2018 polls, securing 27
