Gujarat poll dates to be announced today

13 days after announcing the dates of voting and results of Himachal Pradesh polls, the Election Commission (EC) will announce the dates for Gujarat assembly elections 2017 at 1 pm today. 

The term of the 182-member Gujarat assembly comes to an end on January 23, 2018. 

The EC has been under attack from the opposition parties for not announcing the dates for Gujarat Assembly elections along with Himachal Pradesh. Both the states were expected to go to polls at the same time. 

Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

While declaring the Himachal election dates, the commission, however,  announced that the counting of votes in both the states would take place on December 18.

The declaration of dates will immediately bring the model code of conduct into force, preventing BJP from using its status as the incumbent to woo the electorate at the exchequer's cost.

The EC has rejected the accusation. Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti has said that several factors, including weather, flood relief work, and festivities, were considered before taking a call on election dates, adding: “While the Gujarat and Himachal polls were announced together in 2012, their schedules were different. The two states had no similarities in geography or weather patterns.”