EC likely to announce Gujarat poll schedule this week

The Election Commission is likely to announce schedule for the Gujarat assembly polls this week.

Citing convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat poll schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh election dates earlier this month.

While election in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting will take place on December 8.

By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after polling, the Commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8.

In 2017, the polls in the two state were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18.

Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after Himachal poll schedule was announced.

According to the EC website, assembly polls in Gujarat and HP were held together at least in 1998, 2007 and 2012.

The term of the 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly ends on February 18, 2023.