Maharashtra Gears Up For Assembly Polls; BJP-Shiv Sena To Contest Jointly, Devendra Fadnavis Confident To Return As CM

New Delhi: Election Commission announced the dates for the much-awaited Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana on Saturday. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in New Delhi today told the voting in the two states will take place on October 21, while the results will out on October 24. Maharashtra, meanwhile, is all geared up for the upcoming polls with around 12-crore people in the state to elect 288 new representatives to the state legislature next month. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP and the Shiv Sena will contest the next month's Assembly polls together. The CM also exuded confidence that he will retain the post after elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena and thier allies will make a bid to recapture power, while the Opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will make a determined effort to dislodge it. However, both the alliances were still blowing hot and cold over their proposed alliances, but assure their tie-ups are 'finalised' and will be announced shortly. It is expected that both the alliance will be declared early next week. Meanwhile, Fadnavis has dismissed media reports that the BJP will contest 162 out of total 288 seats and the Sena 126. In 2014, both the two major alliances had fallen apart and contested the Assembly elections independently, though they had contested the Lok Sabha polls earlier that year jointly. While the Shiv Sena sat in the Opposition with the Congress-NCP for around a month, it later 'defected' to the ruling side and the saffron combined remained in office for the full five year term. "I appeal to all the people in the state to exercise their franchise to strengthen democracy. The people have a right to elect the government of their choice as per their expectations," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday. He also urged all political parties to make the minimum use of plastic during campaigns, even as the Model Code of Conduct went into effect on Saturday. Watch | Devendra Fadnavis appeals to people to vote and not use plastic NCP national spokesperson and Mumbai chief Nawab Malik welcomed the poll schedule and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI), fair and transparent elections.