india

Updated: Sep 25, 2019 12:00 IST

The Aam Aadmi Party has announced the names of 22 more candidates for the assembly elections to be held on October 21 in Haryana along with Maharashtra.

Voters in Maharashtra and Haryana will choose new state assemblies on October 21 in the first electoral challenge faced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since it won a second straight term in power at the Centre in May under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Results of the elections will be declared on October 24, said the Election Commission, which unveiled the poll schedule in New Delhi on Saturday.

The term of the present Haryana assembly expires on November 2. There are 90 assembly constituencies, out of which 17 are reserved for the Scheduled Castes.

Also read: In Haryana, BJP high on Lok Sabha win; disunity plagues Opposition

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had formed its first majority government in 2014 under chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Khattar will be the BJP’s public face in the state in the polls that also promise to be a test of resilience for the Congress after its rout in the Lok Sabha elections.

It will also be a test of the ability of interim president Sonia Gandhi to breathe new life into the grand old party. Sonia Gandhi was chosen interim chief after her son Rahul Gandhi resigned in May taking responsibility for the Congress’ defeat.

By-polls will also be held in 64 assembly constituencies across 17 states and one Union territory, and one Lok Sabha constituency, on October 21.

The votes will be counted on October 24.