Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 | What is a hung assembly? How is a government formed in case of a hung assembly?

The Jharkhand assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20, while the counting of votes will take place on November 23. As per the electoral rolls, Jharkhand has a total of 2.60 crore voters, of whom 1.13 lakh are senior citizens aged above 85 years.

The official said that assured minimum facilities along with accessibility friendly infrastructure like ramps would be ensured at the polling stations for PWDs (persons with disabilities) and senior citizens. Forty-three of the constituencies are going to polls on November 13 while elections in the remaining 38 seats will be held on November 20.

But once the polls are done and the results are out, what happens in case of a 'hung assembly'? Let's find out!

What is a hung Assembly and how is a government formed in such a case?

In the event that no political party or alliance receives absolute majority, a hung parliament is declared. In this case, no party can form a government without support from other political parties. In such a scenario, the Governor invites the leader of the single largest party to form the government and usually a 10-day window is given to show absolute majority. If no absolute majority can be shown in the prescribed timeframe, then the Governor dissolves the house and calls for re-election.

External support to form a government

If parties and alliances don't manage an absolute majority, then it can seek external support from a political party to form a government. Usually, the party offering external support is not a part of the government and its politicians don't have ministerial positions. Governments formed using external support tend to be fragile and vulnerable as there is no commitment from the party that's offering external support.

Minority government

A minority government is one where the government doesn’t have an absolute majority and so, can’t pass laws without the votes of parties not participating in the government. There have been cases in the past wherein the minority government survived a vote of no-confidence because the MPs abstained from voting for the government and hence, saved the government from defeat. Minority governments don't usually complete their full terms in office.

Filing of nomination papers for 43 assembly constituencies of Jharkhand going to polls on November 13 in phase one will begin on Friday and will continue till October 25.

On Monday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the JMM-led alliance will contest all 81 seats, although the seat-sharing formula among the allies – Congress and RJD - is yet to be finalised.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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