Assembly polls 2018: dates announced for five states seen as Lok Sabha semi-final

The Election Commission on Saturday unveiled the polling calendar for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat told a press conference that votes in all five states would be counted on 11 December 2018. The Model Code of Conduct took effect immediately in four of the states; it was already in force in Telangana.

The schedule

Chhattisgarh is the only state voting in two phases. Its 18 southern constituencies vote on 12 November and the remaining 72 northern seats on 20 November. Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram both vote on 28 November, while Rajasthan and Telangana poll in a single phase on 7 December.

• Rajasthan (200 seats): nominations close on 19 November; polling on 7 December.
• Madhya Pradesh (230 seats): nominations close on 9 November; polling on 28 November.
• Chhattisgarh (90 seats): phase 1 nominations close on 23 October, voting on 12 November; phase 2 nominations close on 2 November, voting on 20 November.
• Mizoram (40 seats): nominations close on 9 November; polling on 28 November.
• Telangana (119 seats): nominations close on 19 November; polling on 7 December.

Why these polls matter

The round is widely viewed as a curtain-raiser for the 2019 general election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be seeking a fresh term. In Rajasthan, the BJP is trying to break a pattern of voters denying any party back-to-back terms. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP had governed for three consecutive terms, the outcome was expected to be read as a signal of the party’s standing in the Hindi heartland.

The Congress questioned the timing of the announcement. In a tweet, senior leader Randeep Surjewala listed earlier complaints about the Commission’s handling of the Gujarat polls and asked whether the BJP had become a “Super EC”.

What happened next

Congress emerged as the largest party in Madhya Pradesh (114 seats to the BJP’s 109) and Kamal Nath became Chief Minister. In Rajasthan, Congress won 99 of the 199 seats that voted on 7 December and Ashok Gehlot took over. Congress won 68 seats in Chhattisgarh, where Bhupesh Baghel became Chief Minister. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi won 88 seats and K. Chandrasekhar Rao continued as Chief Minister, while in Mizoram the Mizo National Front won 26 seats and Zoramthanga became Chief Minister.

See also: Election results and schedules

Originally published on 7 October 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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