Ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and two election commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu met all the stakeholders including political parties and officials during their two-day visit to the state.

The term of the current assembly ends on November 26. Elections to the 288 constituencies are expected to be announced next month.

Addressing  a press conference here Saturday, Kumar said, “We met BSP, AAP, CPI(M), Congress, NPP, MNS, NCP, NCP (SC), Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) -- totalling 11 political parties. All political parties told us to announce election schedule keeping in mind festivals like Diwali, Dev Diwali and Chhath Puja.” The CEC said that polls would have to be conducted before the term of the assembly ends, that is, before November 26.

He expressed concern over urban voter apathy and said that effort will be to ensure that there is maximum enrolment and voting in the Maharashtra assembly elections. He said that areas like Colaba and Kalyan in and around Mumbai had recorded among the lowest voter turnouts in the Lok Sabha polls held this year.

With elections on the anvil, the ECI reviewed the state’s election preparedness and ordered a crackdown on fake news on social media and instructed officials to respond swiftly to such issues. It also urged state police to expedite investigations into electoral offenses from the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Kumar reviewed facilities at polling stations and directed officers to ensure effective management of voter queues on election days. He called for personal visits to polling sites by district electoral officers to assess arrangements, including seating arrangements for voters, drinking water access and parking faclities in congested areas. He said there will be checking of all helicopters to ensure inducement-free assembly elections in Maharashtra. Daily wage earners and others in the unorganised sector should be informed by the administration that voting day will be a paid holiday for them.

He also said that the ECI had asked the Maharashtra government to shift officials who have served in home district or current posting for over three years.

Of the 288 assembly seats  234 are general seats, 29 SC seats and 25 ST seats. There are total 9.59 crore electors including 19.48 lakh first time (18-19 years) voters. All polling booths will have helpdesk, volunteers, drinking water, ramps, toilets, signages, electricity facilitation centre. Voters can check their details on VHA app.Complaints can be made  anonymously on C Vigil App, Candidates with criminal antecedents must publish information publicly. It is mandatory for political parties to publish information publicly across designated channels. There will be strict vigil on inter-state borders.