The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday, August 16, 2024, the election dates for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases September 18, September 25, and October 1, 2024. In contrast, Haryana will hold its election in a single phase on October 1, 2024.
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases, starting on September 18. The results will be announced on October 4. In Haryana, the election will take place in a single phase on October 1, which coincides with the third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir. The counting of votes for both regions will occur on October 4. Meanwhile, directions were given to enforcement agencies, DMs, and SPs to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, during a press conference, outlined the nomination deadlines: August 27 for the first phase, September 5 for the second phase, and September 12 for the third phase. Kumar remarked on the enthusiastic voter turnout during the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, noting the long queues and the visible eagerness of voters. He emphasised the importance of strengthening democratic processes in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir will have a total of 90 assembly constituencies, including 74 general, nine ST, and seven SC constituencies. The state has 87.09 lakh registered electors, comprising 44.46 lakh males, 42.62 lakh females, 169 transgender individuals, 82,590 persons with disabilities, 73,943 very senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
In Haryana, the assembly elections will be held in a single phase on October 1, 2024, with the results scheduled to be announced on October 4, 2024. The final date to file nominations in Haryana is September 12, with the scrutiny of nominations set for September 13 and the deadline for withdrawal of candidatures on September 16. Haryana’s assembly consists of 90 constituencies, including 73 general, 17 SC, and 0 ST seats. The state will have a total of 2.01 crore voters, comprising 1.06 crore males, 0.95 crore females, 4.52 lakh first-time voters, and 40.95 lakh young voters. The electoral roll for Haryana will be published on August 27, 2024.
In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to complete the election process in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. Jammu and Kashmir will hold elections after a decade, with the last assembly election occurring in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
In Haryana, the current government’s term will end on November 3, 2024, and elections will be held for 90 legislative assembly constituencies. Following the 2019 elections, the BJP, which won 40 seats in the 90-member assembly, formed a coalition government with the JJP, which won 10 seats, while Congress secured 31 seats. The BJP-JJP alliance ended earlier this year. In 2024, Haryana is expected to witness a four-way contest among the BJP, Congress, JJP, and AAP.