In the forthcoming Assembly Elections of 2023, Voters will have their say in five states: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram. The election dates are set between November 7th and November 30th, with vote counting slated for December 3rd, as announced by the Election Commission. These state elections are seen as a crucial prelude to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Approximately 16 crore eligible voters are expected to participate in these elections, according to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. He emphasized that stringent measures are being implemented to ensure the integrity of the polls, aiming for an inducement-free electoral process.
Currently, the political landscape in these states is as follows:
Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are under Congress rule, Madhya Pradesh is governed by the BJP, Telangana is led by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and Mizoram is under the administration of the Mizo National Front (MNF).
In terms of logistics, the Election Commission revealed that there will be 1.77 lakh polling stations, with 1.01 lakh of them equipped with webcasting facilities. Impressively, more than 8,000 polling stations will be operated by women.
Meanwhile, Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP’s general secretary and candidate for the Indore 1 seat in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, sparked controversy by stating that voting for the Congress party is akin to discarding one’s vote, a remark that drew strong criticism from the opposition party.
