UPA-2’s first test on Oct 13

Assembly Polls Announced In Maha, Haryana And Arunachal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls on October 13 to elect new assemblies. Counting of votes will take place on October 22 when the results of the first trial of strength post-Lok Sabha polls will emerge as all three states are ruled by Congress.
   The stakes are high in Haryana where Congress has called early polls and considerable in Maharashtra where it will seek a third term in office in partnership with NCP. In both states, Congress is looking at a divided and demoralised Opposition to help buck incumbency.
   The incumbency factor is particularly high in Maharashtra where the state government has not been seen as a standout performer. The ruling coalition has often pulled in different directions and issues like power cuts and the drought can well be factors.
   But Shiv Sena had been hurt by Raj Thackeray’s MNS in the Lok Sabha polls and Congress hopes it will do the same again. The internal eruptions in BJP have made its leaders look like a crew that can’t shoot straight. There are fears in BJP that turmoil will affect its prospects even though Maharashtra leaders speak of closer cooperation and coordination with Sena.
   Haryana, though a smaller state, has a significance in terms of its proximity to Delhi. But the state looks rather “safe” from Congress’s point of view as the opposition to the ruling party is splintered. The INLD-BJP pact has broken up. “The poll in these states will be conducted at all polling stations using EVMs,” chief election commissioner Navin Chawla said. Dismissing all doubts about the functioning of EVMs, he said, “They are functioning properly and we have no doubts from our side.”
   While Arunachal assembly term is to expire on October 24, Maharashtra assembly’s term will end on November 3. Haryana had nearly six months time, but it decided to go for early polls by dissolving the assembly on August 21. Maharashtra has a 288-member assembly with 29 seats being reserved for SCs and another 25 for STs. While Haryana has a 90-member House (SC — 17), Arunachal has 60 seats with 59 of them being reserved for STs.

Addressing a joint press conference along with election commissioners S Y Quereshi and V S Sampath, Chawla said the code of conduct came into force with immediate effect.