Approximately 161 million people are set to exercise their democratic right in the upcoming state elections, often referred to as the ‘semi-finals,’ as they precede the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
New Delhi: The 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election is scheduled for a single-phase vote on November 17, followed by voting in Rajasthan on November 23 and in Telangana on November 30. The electoral season will commence with Mizoram casting its votes on November 7.
Chhattisgarh stands as the only state in this election cycle with a two-phase voting process – the initial phase coinciding with Mizoram’s voting on November 7, and the second phase aligning with Madhya Pradesh’s voting on November 17.
The results for all states will be officially declared on December 3.
This round of elections is expected to see participation from approximately 161 million eligible voters, marking a significant political event often considered a precursor to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Recap of the 2018 Elections: In 2018, the Congress party secured victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. However, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh was unable to maintain its position following the exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia and nearly two dozen lawmakers to the BJP, leading to the fall of Kamal Nath’s government.
In Chhattisgarh, the Congress secured a substantial lead by winning 68 seats, while the BJP managed just 15. The Congress garnered 43 percent of the vote share in the 90-seat Assembly, with the majority set at 46.
In Madhya Pradesh, the electoral battle was closely contested, with the BJP securing 109 seats and the Congress closely following with 114. The state’s 230 Assembly segments required 116 seats for a majority. The vote share was equally divided, with each party claiming 41 percent.
In Rajasthan, of the 200 Assembly seats (with a majority mark at 101), the Congress won 100, and the BJP secured 73. The Congress formed the government, with Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister, with support from the Bahujan Samaj Party, which won six seats.
Telangana, the sole southern state in this election phase, has 119 seats, with the majority set at 60. In the 2018 elections, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi secured a substantial majority by winning 88 seats. The Congress emerged as the runner-up with 19 seats, while Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM secured seven. The BJP managed to win just one Assembly segment, with T Raja Singh securing the Goshamahal seat.
Lastly, in Mizoram, the Mizo National Front claimed a landslide victory in the 2018 elections, winning 27 out of the state’s 40 seats. The Congress won just four seats, and the BJP secured one, with independent candidates winning the rest.
The term of the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana assemblies is set to conclude in January next year, while Mizoram’s assembly term will conclude in December.