Gujarat Election Dates to Be Announced at 1 pm
The dates for the much-awaited Gujarat Assembly elections 2017 will be announced by the Election Commission at 1 pm today.
This comes more than a week after the EC announced the schedule for the Himachal Pradesh elections, but opted to leave out Gujarat. The Chief Election Commissioner only indicated that Gujarat elections would be held before 18 December and that there would be simultaneous counting in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections will be held on 9 November, and the results would be announced on 18 December.
Several people lashed out at the exclusion of Gujarat from EC’s election schedule announcement on 12 October. Some went on to accuse the Election Commission of deliberately delaying the announcement to the benefit of the BJP, implying the ruling party would utilise the delay to announce schemes and indulge in vote-bank politics.
Elections in Gujarat to be held in Two Phases
The state assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on 9 December and 14 December, EC announced.
Phase 1 will cover 89 constituencies, while phase 2 will see 93 constituencies go to polls. The last date for filing nominations in the first phase is 21 November.
Nominations can be withdrawn until 24 November in the first phase, and 30 November in the second phase.
182 Seats Up for Grabs in Gujarat Assembly
A total of 182 seats are up for grabs in the Gujarat state Assembly.
Here's a look at the numbers from the 2012 Assembly elections in Gujarat:
Election Commission Announces Dates for Gujarat Elections
Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti said that this time around, the two-phased Gujarat elections will see the use of VVPATS. Around 50,128 polling booths will be set up during the elections, he said.
He also warned that no candidate can spend more than Rs 28 lakhs on campaigning, adding that the Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect from today onwards.
The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases, on 9 and 14 December. Votes will be counted on 18 December.
- Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on 9 and 14 December
- In Phase 1, 89 constituencies will go to polls, while Phase 2 will see a contest for 93 constituencies
- Around 50,128 polling booths will be set up for Gujarat’s 4.30 crore voters, EC announced
- The term of the 13th Gujarat assembly ends in January 2018
- The Chief Election Commissioner had earlier said that there would be simultaneous counting in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat
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