EC visiting Mumbai on Tuesday to review state's poll preparedness

The Election Commission will visit Mumbai on Tuesday and interact with various stakeholders in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections as part of its review of the state's poll preparedness, sources said on Monday. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will reach Mumbai on Tuesday evening with Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra and hold meetings with civil adminstration and police officials besides various parties' leaders there to take stock of the state's poll readiness.

The meetings would be spread over two days between Tuesday and Wednesday. The poll panel will be back to Delhi on Wednesday evening.

The term of the 288-member Maharashtra assembly ends on November 9 and a new assembly has to be constituted before that. It was learnt that the Commission could announce assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana together in next few days.

The BJP is vying to retain power in the state and is in talks with the Shiv Sena over the seat sharing arrangements, while the NCP and the Congress have decided to contest the polls together. PTI NAB NAB RAX

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