EC announces dates for Assembly polls in five states, results on December 11
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Polls will be held for 90 seats in Chhattisgarh, 230 in MP, 40 in Mizoram, 119 in Telangana and 200 in Rajasthan
The Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections.
While polls in Chhattisgarh are likely to be held in two phases, elections in the other states might see polling in one phase.
"Model Code of Conduct will be effective from today (after the press conference) in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram as well as Telangana," said Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat.
Counting of votes in all five states will be held on December 11, 2018, the Election Commission announced in a press conference.
Meanwhile, byelection on three parliamentary seats and two assembly seats will be held on November 03.
| State | Date of polling | Date of vote count | Number of seats |
| Rajasthan | December 7 | December 11 | 200 |
| Telangana | December 7 | December 11 | 119 |
| Madhya Pradesh | November 28 | December 11 | 230 |
| Mizoram | November 28 | December 11 | 40 |
| Chhattisgarh | November 12/20 | December 11 | 90 |
Election Commissioner OP Rawat said that polling slips will also be issued in Braille because the poll panels aim remains to make the election process accessible to all. He said that all-women booths will also be set up where security officials will also be women.
Mizoram’s 40-member House expires on December 15, 2018. Chhattisgarh’s Assembly, comprising 90 members, ends on January 5, 2019. The tenure of the Madhya Pradesh 230-member House expires on January 7, 2019. The 200-member Rajasthan House expires on January 20, 2019. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently dissolved the House to avoid a possible clubbing of Assembly polls with the Lok Sabha elections.
These five assembly elections would be crucial for the BJP as it gears up for the Lok Sabha election next year.
The BJP is in power in three of these states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. While the Congress is in power in Mizoram, Telangana Rashtra Samithi was in power in Telangana before the assembly was dissolved.