Srinagar/Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revealed the schedule for the 2024 Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases from September 18 to October 1, while Haryana will hold its Assembly election on October 1. Results for both states are set to be announced on October 4, 2024.
 

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, announced the election dates at a press conference. This will be the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, marking a significant moment for the region. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir will cover 90 seats, with voting phases scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1. The first phase will cover 24 seats, the second phase 26 seats, and the third phase 40 seats.
 

The Haryana Assembly elections, also comprising 90 seats, will be held on October 1. Results for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will be declared on October 4.
 

CEC Kumar noted that the elections in Maharashtra, previously held alongside Haryana in 2019, will be announced at a later date due to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
 

This decision to group the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana elections together follows the Supreme Court’s order for the completion of Jammu and Kashmir’s electoral process by September 30, 2024. The region has been under central government rule since the dissolution of its legislative assembly in 2018 and the subsequent bifurcation into Union Territories in 2019.
 

The Supreme Court’s directive came after a series of delays, including a delimitation exercise completed in 2022. The ECI has conducted visits to Jammu, Kashmir, and Haryana to prepare for the elections, with a visit to Maharashtra still pending. /BI