The dates for the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be announced today. The Election Commission is likely to announce the election schedule at 3 pm.
Gujarat Assembly’s term ends on February 18 next year while that of Himachal Pradesh ends on January 8. The Commission’s officials recently visited both the states to review the election preparedness.
The Gujarat legislative assembly has 182 seats with 92 being the majority mark, while that in the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly is 35. In the 2017 election, the BJP won 44 seats and Congress 21 in Gujarat while in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP won 99 and Congress 77.
Back-to-back rallies and visits by top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have set the stage for the upcoming elections in the two states. The BJP in Gujarat is facing a stiff challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with its leader Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, making frequent visits to the state and declaring his election promises.
BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday flagged off a rally earlier this week in Gujarat as he accused the Congress of halting development in the state. PM Modi’s recent visits witnessed launches of multi-crore projects. Mr Kejriwal has promised free electricity, 15 lakh jobs, and unemployment allowance if it comes to power in the state.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress last month suffered a major setback with its working president Harsh Mahajan joining the BJP. The AAP, trying to make foray into the state’s political landscape, has promised unemployment allowance and six lakh government jobs in the state.