MUMBAI/RANCHI: With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the stage has been set for the big fights between the BJP and the Opposition INDIA bloc. Voting for Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats will be held on November 20. In Jharkhand, elections will be held in two phases—on November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23. Maharashtra’s assembly is the second-largest after Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is facing a tough challenge from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party-SP and Shiv Sena-UBT. Just a few months ago, the MVA alliance won 31 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections. It hopes to carry that momentum. The Mahayui government, however, is banking on its welfare schemes to help it sail through. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reached out to every caste and community in the state. In recent days, his government has announced separate welfare boards for various communities, tripled the salary of Madrasa teachers, and approved ex-gratia payment for government employees and ASHA workers. The MVA is playing the emotive card of Maharashtra’s pride, promising to restore its glory. The Congress said the opposition bloc will go to the polls with an agenda to ‘save’ the state from the NDA.In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance appears to be in a better position than the BJP. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the alliance will contest all 81 seats. JMM legislator and Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren is confident of victory. The state has 2.6 crore voters. Priyanka to make poll debut in Wayanad on Nov 13With the Election Commission announcing that bypoll to the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat vacated by Rahul Gandhi will be held on November 13, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is all set to make her electoral debut. Since her election is a no-brainer, this will be the first time Priyanka Gandhi will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that the three Gandhi family members — Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka — will be in Parliament together
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