LUCKNOW: With Assembly elections in five states just over, speculation is rife in Uttar Pradesh political circles over the possibility of early Assembly polls by a few weeks.
Elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly are due early next year as the incumbent government was sworn in during March 2022.
However, since the 18th Assembly held its first sitting on May 23, 2022, after Yogi Adityanath assumed office for a second term, the five-year tenure of the House will end on May 22, 2027.
According to political buzz, if advanced by a few weeks, the Assembly elections could conclude by the end of January 2027 instead of March. Along with Uttar Pradesh, elections are also due in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
Sources said one possible reason being discussed for advancing the polls is that the second phase of Census 2027 is scheduled for February 2027. The same administrative machinery is generally deployed for both Assembly elections and Census operations. However, there has been no official confirmation on the matter.
According to sources, the elections could be held between December 2026 and January 2027 instead of the usual February-March schedule.
The elections to Uttar Pradesh’s outgoing 18th Assembly were held in February-March 2022. Polls to the 16th and 17th Assemblies were also conducted during February-March in 2012 and 2017 respectively.
Under existing rules, the Election Commission of India can conduct elections within six months before the end of a state Assembly’s term, lending weight to the speculation around an advanced poll schedule.
Meanwhile, political parties in the state have indicated they are prepared for an early election.
A senior BJP functionary said the party remains election-ready throughout the year. “The Election Commission of India has to make the decision on notifying the UP Assembly polls. We are always ready,” the BJP leader said.
The main Opposition parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, also asserted that they were prepared for elections at any time.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the party was ready whenever polls were announced and expressed confidence of forming the next government.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ also said the Congress was prepared for an early election.