- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
The western Indian state of Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5 with the counting of votes on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh, the country’s chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Thursday (3).
Of the total 182 assembly seats in Gujarat, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the remaining 93 seats on December 5.
In 2017, the ruling Bhyaratiya Janata Party (BJP) had pulled off its sixth consecutive victory in the state elections, winning 99 seats while the opposition Indian National Congress put up a spirited fight by bagging 77 seats.
In percentage terms, the BJP had polled 49.05 per cent of the valid votes, while Congress had polled 42.97 per cent.
The Congress witnessed a series of defections after the assembly elections and the BJP increased its tally in the assembly to 111.
The Congress’s numbers were reduced to 62.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has eyed power in Gujarat this year and has already entered the election mode.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has made several trips to the state in his bid to make inroads for the AAP after a successful foray in Punjab earlier this year.
Prime minister Narendra Modi has also been visiting Gujarat, his home state, and Himachal Pradesh frequently to inaugurate and launch several projects.
Also, these elections along with a few more in other states in 2023 are being seen as crucial in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Modi and BJP will bid for their third consecutive government in New Delhi.
[With PTI inputs]
