Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | FAQs: How is a state government formed?

With the successful completion of the Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections, the focus now shifts towards two other states - Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the Maharashtra assembly polls - the single-phased affair will take place on November 20, and the results will be declared on November 23, along with that of Jharkhand.

Now, let's take a look at how a state government is formed after the assembly elections are conducted:

After elections to the states' legislative assemblies, the party or coalition that wins a majority of seats forms the state government. The Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, lay down the rules for the conduct of elections to the states' legislative assemblies. The process of the formation of a state government is governed by several constitutional provisions and laws.

The formation of the government:

Article 164 of the Constitution of India states that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor of the state in question and the other ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister holds office at the pleasure of the Governor, and the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly.

The Election Commission counts the votes and declares the results of the elections. The Governor of that particular state will then invite the party or coalition that can prove they have a majority of seats on the floor of the House to form the government.

In case no party or coalition has a clear majority, the Governor will then invite the leader of the single largest party to form the government and give him/her 10 days to prove an absolute majority. If the party is unable to show a majority in the prescribed time period, the Governor may then dissolve the Assembly, unless an arrangement for a "Minority government" has been agreed upon.

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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