Telangana Assembly Election 2023

The 119-member Telangana legislative assembly will vote in a single phase on November 30, 2023. The total number of voters in Telangana is more than three crore. Over 17 lakh voters have been added to the voting list in the state. The notification for the Telangana assembly elections was announced on November 3. The last date for submitting nominations of candidates was November 10. The last date of withdrawing candidature will be November 15, while the counting of votes will be on December 3. The southern state of Telangana was created on June 2, 2014, after a protracted fight for statehood. Telangana was part of Hyderabad's princely kingdom under Nizam rule until India's Independence in 1947, and it has a rich historical and cultural legacy. People from the Telangana area first started demanding a separate Telangana state in the 1950s when they felt left out of the merged Andhra Pradesh state due to the dominance of the Andhra region. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a rise in the Telangana movement. Protests, agitations, and political demands for a separate Telangana were its defining characteristics. The central government passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, after years of political negotiations and public pressure. The act created Telangana as a separate state on June 2, 2014 with Hyderabad as its capital. The first assembly election for Telangana was held in April 2014, just a few months before the state was officially bifurcated. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led by K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) won a decisive majority and KCR became the first chief minister of Telangana. In the 2018 election, the TRS retained power, with KCR re-electing as the chief minister. The party maintained a strong position in the assembly, winning most of the seats in both the 2014 and 2018 elections. The tenure of Telangana legislative assembly is scheduled to end on January 16, 2024.

What is the process of the Telangana assembly election?

Announcement of election schedule:

The Election Commission of India announces the schedule for the assembly election. This includes the deadlines for submitting nominations, reviewing nominations, withdrawing nominations, and the election day.

Voter registration:

Eligible persons must ensure they are registered to vote to cast a ballot. To obtain a Voter ID card, this entails providing the commission with the required documentation and information.

Nomination filing:

Nominations must be submitted within a certain period if parties or Independent candidates intend to run in the election. They must submit the necessary paperwork and pay a security deposit, which is repaid if they win a certain percentage of votes.

Scrutiny of nomination:

Following the nomination, the filed nominations are examined for correctness and completeness. Any candidate's candidature may be challenged during this period.

Nomination withdrawal:

Candidates have the choice to revoke their nominations. Usually, this occurs after the scrutiny process. A candidate may lose their security deposit if they don't withdraw and go on to lose the election.

Voting:

Eligible voters cast their ballots at dedicated polling centres on the election day. Typically, voting is done through electronic voting machines or EVMs. By tapping the button corresponding to their favourite candidate or party symbol, voters indicate their preference.

Counting of votes:

After the voting is over, the EVMs are sealed and taken to the counting centres. Following that, the ballots are tallied under the watchful eyes of the poll panel officials and observers. Typically, the results are declared on the day of the counting.

Declaring the winner:

The winner is the candidate who secures the most legitimate votes in each constituency. The government is formed by the party or coalition that holds the majority of seats in the legislature.

After the election results are announced, the chief minister and the council of ministers are sworn in as the new government. They start running the state after assuming their respective positions.

What is Article 243K?

Article 243K(1):

Article 243K of the Constitution of India states that the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Panchayats (Municipalities under Article 243ZA) shall be vested in a State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor.

Article 243K(2):

Article 243K states that the tenure and appointment will be directed as per the law made by the state legislature. However, the State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his/her office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court. ...read more