RANCHI: An Election Commission of India (ECI) delegation, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, reached Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi on Monday, September 23 to review preparations for the upcoming assembly polls, expected to be held in the winter this year.
The ECI team during its visit will interact with all the national and regional political parties along and will hold meetings with government officials to review the preparedness before the polls.
Briefing about the development, K Ravi Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand informed that four meetings are scheduled for Monday where the ECI panel will interact with the representatives of six national parties along with three prominent regional parties.
The ECI officials will also hold meeting with the senior officials of the state government and police administration. Further the team will hold talks with the district election officer to review preparedness.
The meeting with the police officials and election officers is scheduled on Tuesday, September 24 and will be attendant by Superintendents’ of Police (SPs), Inspector Generals (IGs) and Deputy Inspector Generals, added Kumar.
An ECI delegation led by CEC Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. SS Sandhu arrived at Ranchi today to review poll preparedness for forthcoming assembly elections in #Jharkhand . #AssemblyElections #ECI pic.twitter.com/uXfNyWn01X
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) September 23, 2024
The visit of the ECI team will focus on assessing preparedness, election related matters along with reviewing law and order situation before the upcoming state assembly polls, he added.
State assembly election 2019
It is to be noted that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led ruling alliance had secured a victory in the last state assembly polls, ousting the Raghubar Das led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in December 2019.
The elections for the 81 state assembly seat were conducted in five phases in November-December, 2019, where the JMM had secured victory in 30 seats, forming government with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by Congress party which had emerged victorious on 16 assembly seats.
The ruling JMM led by Chief Minster Hemant Soren, with its key partners, Indian National Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal this time is all set to face a strong National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP in the upcoming polls.
The state polls this time are likely to revolve around the issue of tribal identity, allegation of corruption, law and order situation and Bangladeshi infiltration issue, which has been at the forefront of the political strife between the two main political parties of the state i.e. the JMM and the BJP.
