Amid Tight Election Schedule, Will Maharashtra Have Another Presidential Rule?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the polling schedule for the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections. While Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats will undergo polling on November 20 in a single phase, Jharkhand’s 88-seater will hold its elections on November 13 and 20 in two phases.

The polling schedule of Maharashtra particularly has come under scrutiny. The term of the Mahayuti government led by chief minister Eknath Shinde will end on November 26, merely three days after the counting of votes is scheduled (November 23). The oath-taking ceremony for newly elected MLAs must be completed before that date.

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Notably, the last five elections in the state were held in October, and this will be the first time it will occur in November. While it was expected the Maharashtra assembly polls to be announced along with Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, it was postponed by the EC citing its unpreparedness.

With such a tight schedule lined up, in case the next government in Maharashtra fails to form, Presidential rule in the state is a possibility.

The President’s rule has been imposed in Maharashtra three times since the state came into existence on May 1, 1960.

In the 2019 state assembly elections, although the BJP won a majority of 105 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena 56, the NCP 54, and the Congress 44, the power struggle over the post of the chief minister delayed the formation of government.

The first time the Presidential rule was imposed in the state was in February 1980, when the Indira Gandhi government dismissed the Sharad Pawar-led Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) government.

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In 2014, following the resignation of Prithviraj Chavan as Chief Minister after withdrawal of support by ally NCP to the Congress-led government, the state witnessed President’s rule under Article 356 of the Constitution for the second time.