October 15, 2024: The Election Commission of India has officially announced that Maharashtra will hold its assembly elections on November 20, with results to be declared on November 23. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized that India continues to set "gold standards" in electoral processes during a press conference on Tuesday.

Maharashtra's current assembly term is set to conclude on November 26, paving the way for a critical electoral showdown. The state is currently governed by the Mahayuti alliance, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde faction, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar. With a total of 288 assembly seats, the elections are expected to be closely contested.

In parallel, Jharkhand will conduct its assembly elections in two phases, although specific dates for the voting phases have yet to be disclosed. The results for Jharkhand will also be announced on November 23. The state's assembly term ends on January 5, 2025, and the current government, a coalition of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress, is headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Jharkhand's assembly consists of 81 seats, making the upcoming elections pivotal for both the ruling coalition and the opposition parties.