Maharashtra will vote on November 20.
Allaying fears over "law and order issues" affecting voting after last week's killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique in Mumbai's Bandra, the Election Commission of India has said it will be made very clear to the authorities that violence of any kind and crimes with political overtones will be a "no-go area".
Answering a question while announcing the election dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, "After the declaration of the Model Code of Conduct (which comes into force after the elections are announced), we will make it extremely clear to police authorities and state civil authorities in the state you are mentioning that violence of any kind and a crime of this nature which has political overtones would be absolutely a no-go area for the commission."
"We had thought about this beforehand, we did not have a role until now. With the MCC in force, we will have a very strict view on this and we will direct everyone that violence of any kind, any crime, especially against a political person, should not happen, should not repeat. We have not allowed it to happen in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir... state after state. We are sure it will not happen," he emphasised.
Siddique, who was a three-time MLA and a member of Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was shot dead on Saturday night outside the Bandra East office of his son and MLA Zeeshan Siddique. Three attackers fired at least six bullets, four of which hit Baba Siddique.
The opposition has attacked the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena coalition over the law-and-order situation in the state.
After the murder, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) President Sharad Pawar had said people in the government should take responsibility and step down from their posts.
"The deteriorating law and order situation in the state is a matter of concern. It is sad that former state minister Baba Siddique was shot dead in the country's financial capital, Mumbai. If the Home minister and the rulers will take the state's vehicle forward with such leniency, it can be a warning sign for the common people. This not only needs to be investigated, the rulers need to accept responsibility and step down from their posts. My heartfelt tribute to Baba Siddiqui and condolences to his family," he wrote in Marathi on X.
Chief Minister Shinde said law and order had deteriorated under the alliance led by the opposition coalition, which is known as the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and promised that the people responsible for Siddique's killing would not be spared.
Voters in all 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra will cast their ballots on November 20. Counting will be held on November 23.