EC announces poll dates for five states, verdict on 8 December

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be among five chief ministers will face a litmus test when his state Madhya Pradesh will go for polls on 25 November.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has often showcased Chouhan as an efficient administrator and parallels are also drawn with his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi. If the BJP will have to tackle any anti-incumbency will be known only after the results are announced.

Another BJP ruled state that has a high profile chief minister, Raman Singh, at the helm is Chhattisgarh. Singh has shared a good rapport with the Centre in his mission to deal with the Maoists sternly.The Chhattisgarh-model of public distribution system is also touted as one of the country’s best.

Whether these steps have benefitted the electorate will be known when the state goes for a two-phase poll on 11 and 19 November to elect its 90-member assembly. One member is nominated.

The Congress, which has its state top brass eliminated during a daring a Maoist attack on 25 May 2013, will depend mostly on Ajit Jogi.

In Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal is hopeful of ousting the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government.

The national capital will vote on for its assembly on 4 December.

Rajasthan will see a direct battle between the Congress and the BJP. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will have to take on the challenge of the BJP leader and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. The state will go to polls on 1 December.

Mizoram, which has a 40-member assembly, is going to polls on 1 December.

“The counting of votes for all states will be done on 8 December,” said Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath at a press conference in New Delhi.

With the announcement of dates, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect in all five states immediately.

A significant development is the introduction of “None of the Above” option for voters if he or she chooses to reject all the candidates in the ray in a particular constituency.

This feature will be added to the Electronic Voting Machines after a Supreme Court judgement on 27 September 2013.