Allegations made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut regarding the potential imposition of President’s Rule in Maharashtra after the upcoming assembly polls are unfounded and reflect a misunderstanding of constitutional provisions, sources from the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Office said on Monday.
The sources informed that the role of the Election Commission is to conduct the elections and submit the list of newly elected MLAs to the Governor within six months of the completion of the Assembly’s term, in accordance with Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Article 172(1) of the Constitution.
The Commission will complete this process before November 26, 2024, with the counting of votes set to conclude on November 23. Once the list of newly-elected MLAs is submitted, the Governor can invite the formation of the government, as per his constitutional mandate outlined in Article 164. This process is not restricted by the Assembly’s term expiration on November 26, which is relevant only for the completion of the election process, according to the sources.
On Sunday, Raut had alleged that the BJP fears defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections, as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is confident of forming the next government. “This is why the Election Commission has allowed only a few days for the government formation after the poll results,” he claimed.
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Maharashtra is scheduled to vote on November 20, with the results set to be declared on November 23.