The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the schedule for upcoming assembly elections today at around 3 pm.

Elections are due in Haryana and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with Maharashtra’s elections scheduled for later this year. According to sources cited by ANI, the electoral schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will likely be revealed today.

The announcement will detail key dates for the filing of nominations, polling days, and result declarations. On August 14, the Election Commission met with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to assess the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court directed the central government to ensure that the election process in Jammu and Kashmir is completed by September 30, 2024. This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade; the last was held in 2014. The region has been without an elected government since June 2018, when the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP-BJP coalition government led by then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Recently, a delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar visited Jammu and Kashmir to review poll preparations. During a press conference in Jammu, Kumar reiterated the commission’s commitment to holding elections there “at the earliest.”

In Haryana, the current government’s term will end on November 3, 2024, with elections to be held for all 90 legislative assembly constituencies. Following the 2019 elections, the BJP formed a coalition government with the JJP after winning 40 seats in the 90-member assembly. The Congress secured 31 seats. The BJP-JJP alliance dissolved earlier this year, setting the stage for a four-way contest in 2024 among the BJP, Congress, JJP, and AAP.

The schedule for the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly elections is expected to be announced later.

(With ANI input)