The Election Commission of India is going to announce the schedule for assembly elections in Telangana, along with four other states, at 12 noon on Monday, thereby sounding the bugle for the poll battle.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with his two other election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel will announce the schedule at Nirvachan Sadan.
In all probability, the elections to the Telangana assembly will be held in the first week of December and the results would be announced along with the other states after December 10.
With the announcement of election schedule, the model code of conduct will come into effect immediately and neither the state government nor the Centre will be able to inaugurate or launch any developmental works nor can they foundation stone for any projects.
In fact, in the last one week, when the CEC and others were there in Hyderabad for three days to review the poll preparedness for forthcoming Telangana assembly elections, Telangana ministers, particularly K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao hopped from one district to another to launch various schemes and projects.
The CM Breakfast Programme was launched with a lot of fanfare. The State government also announced the new Pay Revision Commission for the state government employees along with five percent interim relief.
Hours before the announcement of election schedule on Friday, the BRS government launched Employee Health Care Trust for Employees and Pensioners (EHCT), in the lines of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), providing cashless, high-quality medical treatment to employees, pensioners, and their families.
The state government also hurriedly started distribution of Bathukamma sarees since the last week to appease women voters.
Now that the schedule is being announced, all the new schemes would come to a halt and the election campaign will begin in the right earnest!