Why is Maharashtra assembly election scheduled on Wednesday? Election Commission reveals

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that Wednesday was chosen for a specific reason.

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for the Maharashtra assembly election. According to the election panel, polling will be held in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addresses a press conference on Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections. (ANI)

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, meanwhile, said that Wednesday was chosen for a specific reason.

"For Maharashtra, this will be in a single phase. Date of notification - October 22, last date of nomination - October 29, scrutiny - October 30, last date of withdrawal - November 4 and the date of polling will be November 20 and counting will be held on November 23," he said.

He said the decision to hold an election on a Wednesday was deliberate.

"You will notice that the date of the poll is Wednesday. This is deliberate and we have tried that it is mid-week so that the issue of urban apathy is handled," he said.

The Jharkhand polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, the Election Commission added.

The votes for the two states will be counted on November 23.

"There are 9.63 crore eligible voters in Maharashtra, while the number of eligible voters in Jharkhand is 2.6 crore," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said at a press conference.

The BJP is keen to retain power in Maharashtra along with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP-led Ajit Pawar. The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Congress-NCP(SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) will also try to win back power.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the opposition's MVA alliance won 31 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections.

In Jharkhand, the Congress is playing second fiddle to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led by chief minister Hemant Soren.

With inputs from ANI, PTI