The Election Commission of India today will be announcing the schedule for Assembly elections of five states that will go to the polls in 2022. The terms of the current assemblies of Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh will be coming to an end between March and May. The elections, especially the one in Uttar Pradesh, are widely expected to set the tone for the 2024 General Elections for the Lok Sabha.
Here is all you need to know about the upcoming elections
Goa
Goa’s legislative assembly has a total of 40 seats, consisting of 23 seats in the district of North Goa and 17 in South Goa. The current break-up of seats are as follows: National Democratic Alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party- 25 seats, Independent - 1 seat; United Progressive Alliance, Indian National Congress - 2 seats, Goa Forward Party - 2 seats; Others, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party - 1 seat, All India Trinamool Congress - 1 seat.
While the 2017 State Assembly elections saw the INC emerge as the largest party with 17 seats, mass defections boosted the BJP’s numbers from 13 to 25 and then forming the government under then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The 2022 elections will see INC, BJP, AITC and even the Aam Admi Party try to win the favour of the people in the state. The current Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will be leading the charge for BJP, while former Goa CM Digambar Kamat will be batting for the INC. AITC MP Mahua Moitra has been campaigning for the party in the state as well.
Punjab
Punjab’s legislative assembly has a total of 117 seats, with 59 seats needed for a majority. The current break up of seats are as follows: UPA, INC- 80 seats; Opposition, AAP - 17 seats; Others, Shiromani Akali Dal - 14 seats, Lok Insaf Party - 2 seats; NDA, BJP - 2 seats.
The 2017 State Assembly elections saw the INC emerge as the largest party with 77 seats, three defections from the AAP boosted their numbers. The political situation in the state has been fraught with many uncertainties. While the government was formed under Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, Singh left the party over differences with other members of the INC, in particular, the new Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. He was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi. The two-decade-long alliance between the BJP and SAD also came to an end after the BJP government introduced the widely controversial three farm law bills.
The 2022 elections will be contested by INC, BJP, AAP, SAD, and Capt. Singh’s new party, the Punjab Lok Congress, among several other parties. Important political leaders include Sidhu, Channi, Capt. Singh, Sukhbir Singh Badal from SAD, Bhagwant Mann for AAP.
Manipur
Manipur’s legislative assembly has a total of 60 seats, with 31 needed to form a majority. The current break-up of seats are as follows: NDA, BJP - 29 seats; Government allies, Naga People’s Front - 5 seats, National People’s Party - 3 seats, Independent - 1 seat; UPA, INC - 14 seats; Others, AITC - 1 seat.
While the 2017 State Assembly elections saw the INC emerge as the largest party with 28 seats, the BJP with the help of allies NPF, NPP, the Lok Janashakti Party and one independent managed to form the government by attaining the majority needed under the guidance of Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, who was a former Congress member.
The 2022 elections will see INC, BJP, AITC, NPF, NPP, LJP and several other parties contest for most seats in the legislature. Biren Singh will face the most competition from Okram Ibobi Singh, Congress leader and former Manipur CM.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand’s legislative assembly has a total of 70 seats, with 36 needed to form a majority. The current break-up of seats are as follows: NDA, BJP - 53 seats, Independent - 2 seats; UPA, INC - seats.
The 2017 State Assembly elections saw the BJP easily emerge as the largest party with 57 seats, which then formed the government under Trivendra Singh Rawat. However, internal struggles in the party which unfolded in the following years led to Rawat resigning in 2021. He was followed by Tirath Singh Rawat, who himself resigned just months later to avoid a constitutional crisis in the state. He was succeeded by the current Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
The 2022 elections will see INC, BJP, and AAP duke it out. While the Bahujan Samaj Party and Nationalist Congress Party have had some sway in elections in the past, their results in the previous election suggest they may not have a major say this time. Col. Ajay Kothiyal of AAP, Dhami from BJP and former CM Harish Rawat from the INC are major leaders in the election.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh’s legislative assembly has a total of 403 seats, with 202 needed to form a majority. UP’s state assembly is the largest in India. The current break-up of seats are as follows: NDA, BJP - 303 seats; Government ally, Apna Dal (Sonelal) - 9 seats; Opposition, Samajwadi Party - 49 seats, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party - 4 seats, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) - 1 seat; Others, INC - 7 seats, BSP - 15 seats, Independents - 3 seats, others - 2 seats.
The 2017 State Assembly was a landslide victory for the BJP, which won 325 seats despite the fact that it had not even nominated a Chief Ministerial candidate at the time. The election was campaigned for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself for the BJP. Yogi Adityanath was later appointed as the Chief Minister of the state. The state’s assembly elections are often seen as a precursor to the results of the upcoming General Elections for the Lok Sabha. The elections in UP are widely contested by a large number of parties with many not even being regional powers.
The 2022 elections will see a plethora of parties trying to get the largest share of seats possible. Some of the major parties include BJP, INC, SP, RLD, BSP, AAP, AITC, Shiv Sena, Communist Party of India, Janata Dal (United), and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, among others. The leaders who will be trying to swing voters in the state include CM Adityanath, Priyanka Gandhi, former CM Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and others.
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