The Election Commission of India has declared the schedule for Gujarat elections due later this year.
The home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to the polls in two phase on Dec. 1 and Dec. 5 while counting of votes will take place on Dec. 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Thursday.
Of the total 182 assembly seats in Gujarat, voting for 89 seats will be held on Dec. 1 and the balance 93 seats on Dec. 5.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power in Gujarat since 1998, and recorded its sixth consecutive victory at the polls in 2017, winning 99 seats. The Congress had won in 77 constituencies that year. In percentage terms, the BJP had polled 49.05% of the valid votes, while the Congress had polled 42.97%.
The Congress witnessed a series of defections after the assembly elections and the BJP increased its tally in the Gujarat Assembly to 111. The Congress numbers were reduced to 62.
In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the third player at the polls. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has made several trips to Gujarat in his bid to make inroads for the AAP in Modi's state after a successful foray in Punjab. The prime minister has also been visiting Gujarat frequently to inaugurate and launch several projects.
The Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections this year, along with a few others next year, are seen crucial in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP would look for third consecutive term at the Centre.
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