Mumbai: Assembly elections in Maharashtra may be announced soon. A team of the Election Commission of India led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived in Mumbai on Thursday on a two-day visit to review the preparations for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Kumar arrived here late in the evening along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as well as other senior officials.

A release said that on Friday and Saturday, the commission will meet representatives of political parties, enforcement agencies, nodal officers of central paramilitary forces, special police nodal officers, chief electoral officer, state chief secretary, director general of police (DGP), administrative secretaries and senior police officers. It said that the Election Commission will also meet district officials and superintendents of police. The release said that the Election Commission will address a press conference on Saturday evening before leaving for Delhi. The term of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is ending in the last week of November. 

Elections likely to be held in the second week of November: Chief Minister 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that state assembly elections are likely to be held in the second week of November and seat sharing among the ruling allies will be finalised in the next 8 to 10 days. In an informal interaction with reporters at his official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai, Shinde said that it would be better to hold elections for the 288-member state assembly in two phases. He said the Mahayuti government is focusing on development and welfare measures and is getting a good response from the people. 

The Mahayuti government comprises the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The Chief Minister said, "Elections are likely to be held in the second week of November. It would be better to hold elections in two phases. Higher expectation of victory will be the criterion for seat sharing among the Mahayuti allies." He said the seat sharing will be finalized in 8 to 10 days. Shinde said he is seeing support for the government among women and stressed that his government is a government of the common people.