Nearly 16 crore voters will be eligible to vote in the upcoming assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said at a press conference, asserting that strong measures are being put in place to ensure fair and corruption-free polls.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that there will be 1.77 lakh polling stations in these five states, of which 1.01 lakh will have webcasting facilities.
Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat says the party is "ready to fight" and confident of winning in all five states going to polls in the upcoming assembly elections. He added that the party has performed well wherever it is in power and that people in the states where it is not in power are now looking to Congress.
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar welcomes the Election Commission's announcement of poll dates for the upcoming assembly elections, saying the BJP is "fully prepared" to participate in all the state polls.
Congress MP Randeep Surjewala says people in all five states going to polls will vote the BJP out of power and that this will be a sign of a major change to come in the country in 2024. He added that 8.5 crore people in Madhya Pradesh are ready to remove the BJP and that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is tired and retired.
BJP's Chhattisgarh in-charge Om Prakash Mathur says the party is "fully ready for the upcoming two-phase state polls" and confident of forming a government with a full majority.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls elections "festivals of democracy" and appeals to voters and political parties to participate peacefully.
BJP president J.P. Nadda welcomes the announcement of assembly elections in five states and expresses confidence in his party forming governments in all of them with an overwhelming majority.
Madhya Pradesh BJP chief confident of winning with a clear majority in assembly elections, citing developmental and welfare works done under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge predicts the BJP and its allies will be defeated in the upcoming assembly elections in five states.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says the Congress party will fight the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram with strength, focusing on public welfare, social justice, and progressive development.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says that voters using postal ballots are becoming a force and an interest group, and that deciding where to cast their vote after the poll is not seen as a good practice.
The Election Commission (EC) has announced the poll schedule for the 2023 assembly elections in five states:
Chhattisgarh: Two phases: November 7 and November 17
Madhya Pradesh: November 17
Rajasthan: November 23
Telangana: November 30
Mizoram: November 7
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into effect with the announcement of assembly poll dates in five states. The elections are crucial, coming just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The term of the Mizoram legislative assembly ends on December 17, with the Mizo National Front currently in power. The terms of the legislative assemblies of Telangana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh end on different dates in January next year.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rules Telangana, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rules Madhya Pradesh. The Congress is in power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says that the five states going to polls will have 1.77 lakh polling stations, of which 1.01 lakh will have webcasting facilities and over 8,000 will be managed by women.
According to the Election Commission, the upcoming assembly elections in five states will have 8.2 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters, including 60.2 lakh first-time voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar added that these elections are significant for the country and that the commission will meet again after the elections to announce the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.