New Delhi: Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on 1 and 5 December and the results will be counted on 8 December, along with that of Himachal Pradesh, the Election Commission of India announced Thursday.
The term of the 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly ends on February 18, 2023.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has won six consecutive assembly polls in Gujarat, has already fired up the campaign trail with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a slew of public meetings in the state.
The party is also keen to offset the public anger arising from the horrific Morbi bridge tragedy last week that killed at least 135 people.
The Congress too wants to take an early decision on candidates, and may announce names on 4 November when the party’s Central Election Committee meets in the national capital.
The Congress put up a strong fight in the last assembly polls and wishes to cement its appeal via “yatras” in the canvassing this term.
The Himachal Pradesh elections (12 November) and Gujarat polls will be the first under the leadership of the party’s new president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Aam Aadmi Party has also thrown down its gauntlet by already announcing 108 candidates in the 182-seat House. AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has aggressively campaigned in the state, holding rallies and town halls. He has also made a host of pre-poll promises, including free electricity and better education and healthcare among others.
Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has so far released a list of five candidates — from Danilimda (SC), Jamalpur Khadia, Surat (East), Bapunagar, and Limbayat segments.
In the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 99 seats, and the Congress 77. The Congress got 41 per cent share of votes to the BJP’s 49 percent. The numbers today, however, stand at 111 for the BJP and 62 for the main Opposition.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Thursday that the poll body was going the extra mile to make voting accessible and comfortable for all.
He said a special observer would monitor Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat for women and the elderly.
“For an enhanced voting experience, 1,274 polling stations will be completely managed by women and security staff. For the first time, 33 polling stations will be set up and managed by the youngest available polling agents with the objective of encouraging the youth,” Kumar said.
He added several measures have been taken to include everyone in the voting process. There will be a mobile shipping container as a poll station in a particular area to facilitate polling, Kumar said, adding: “We shall also go to an area which has one registered voter. Teams will go via boat to an island that has 832 houses with over 4,000 voters.”
Kumar said particular focus would be on senior citizens, with teams even going to their homes if necessary.
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