"INDIA bloc should connect with public in Maharashtra, Jharkhand": NC chief Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 15 (ANI): Following the announcement of the election schedule for Jharkhand and Maharashtra, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday urged the leaders of the INDIA bloc to connect with the public in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
"I urge the leaders of the INDIA bloc to connect with the public in Maharashtra and Jharkhand...I am hopeful that in the elections of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the leaders of the INDIA alliance will not take the elections lightly...In Jammu, the BJP scared the Hindus that if they (the JKNC-Congress alliance) returned to power, terrorism would start...The Congress party did not play its role in eliminating this fear from the minds of the people....We would have performed better in Jammu," Abdullah said.
Jharkhand is set to vote in two phases in assembly polls to be held on November 13 and 20 while Maharashtra will go in for a single-phase election on November 20, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday.
Votes will be counted in the two states on November 23.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the date of polling in the two states in a press conference here.
A total of 2.60 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in Jharkhand and there are 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters. The state has 11.84 lakh first-time voters and there are 66.84 lakh young voters.
The term of the Jharkhand assembly will end on January 5, 2025, with elections scheduled in 81 constituencies (44 General, 9 SC, 28 ST) in the state.
The CEC said that in Maharashtra, the date of issue of Gazette notification is October 22, the last date for filing nominations is October 29, the date for scrutiny of nominations will be October 30 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is November 4.
The key contenders in the Maharashtra elections are the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress. (ANI)