Election Commission likely to announce Gujarat assembly poll dates today

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the schedule for the Gujarat Assembly polls on Thursday. The announcement will be made at noon. The term of the Gujarat Assembly ends on February 18 next year.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to announce the polling dates for Gujarat Assembly election today (November 3) at noon. The polling schedule for the Gujarat Assembly election will be announced later today in the Rang Bhavan auditorium of All India Radio by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anoop Chandra Pandey.

Last month, the poll panel had announced election dates for Himachal Pradesh but had refrained from doing the same for Gujarat.

Gujarat may hold two rounds of voting in the first week of December, according to ECI sources. Counting of votes may be done along with Himachal Pradesh on December 8.

The most recent assembly elections in Gujarat were held in 2017, and the BJP won to secure a fifth consecutive term in office. The Congress obtained 77 votes in the state assembly last time, while the saffron party got 99 of the 182 seats.

The BJP, which is now in power, the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party are expected to compete against one another in this year's election. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has begun a full-scale campaign to win over voters in the state, while leaders of the saffron party have voiced confidence that they will maintain power in Gujarat.

The much-awaited announcement for the high voltage election in the BJP's stronghold comes against the backdrop of the recent bridge tragedy in Morbi that left 135 people dead. Gujarat polls is also a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP will leave no stone unturned to ensure that it clinces victory in the state.