Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addresses a press conference on the schedule of the Gujarat Assembly polls in the presence of the Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey at the Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
Gujarat Assembly Election News Highlights: The Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, and the results will be declared on December 8, the Election Commission announced Thursday. Of the 182 seats in the legislative Assembly, 89 will go to polls in the first phase and 93 in the second. There are over 4.9 crore electors eligible to vote this year. There will be more than 51,000 polling stations set up, including more than 34,000 in rural areas.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, before announcing the schedule, expressed condolences to the victims of the Morbi bridge tragedy. He said there was a delay in announcing the poll schedule due to the accident that killed at least 135 people.
The term of the Gujarat Assembly ends on February 18, 2023. With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect in the state. The Centre has deployed 160 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces ahead of the polls.
The much awaited, high-stakes elections are seeing a three-cornered contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has been in power in the state — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf — for over two decades. In the last election in 2017, the BJP won 99 seats, while the Congress won 77, winning 49.05 per cent and 42.97 per cent of the votes, respectively. Over the years, the Congress’ tally reduced to 62, while the BJP’s increased to 111.
Here are some pictures by our Photojournalist Tashi Tobgyal from the Election Commission press conference
The BJP saw its number of seats drop to its lowest tally since 1995 last time (2017), winning 99 of 182 seats. The Congress got 77 seats. However, the BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years, still got nearly 50% of the votes (getting 49.05%), while the Congress ended with 41.44% of the votes.
While the number of seats the BJP won dropped in 2017 compared to 2012, it actually got more votes. In 2012, when Modi was still CM, the BJP had won 115 seats and 47.85% votes. The Congress tally was 61 seats and 38.93% votes, indicating the huge jump the party would make five years later, largely on the strength of the Patidar quota agitation against the BJP government. In 2012 too, the two parties had virtually no third competitor. Read more here
In the last election in 2017, the BJP won 99 seats, while the Congress won 77, winning 49.05 per cent and 42.97 per cent of the votes, respectively. Over the years, the Congress’ tally reduced to 62, while the BJP’s increased to 111.
Now, the state is witnessing a three-cornered contest between the BJP, Opposition Congress and the AAP. All eyes are on the polls in Gujarat ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP will bid for a consecutive third term at the centre.
Once the official notification for the election is published, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect in Gujarat.
What is the MCC? The MCC is a code that aims to provide a level-playing field for all players during elections by guiding the conduct of the incumbent government, other political parties and candidates in the fray. The government in power, for example, cannot announce any decisions that could potentially influence voters. MCC comes into effect from the date of announcement of poll dates and lasts up to the day of voting.
Date of issue of gazette notification: November 5 (Phase 1), November 10 (Phase 2)
Last date for nominations: November 14 (Phase 1), November 17 (Phase 2)
Date for scrutiny of nominations: November 15 (Phase 1); November 18 (Phase 2)
Last date for withdrawal of candidature: November 15 (Phase 1), November 18 (Phase 2)
Date of polls: December 1 (Phase 1), December 5 (Phase 2)
Date of counting: December 8 (Both phases)
Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5, and the results will be declared on December 8, the Election Commission has announced.
Ahead of the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat in the next two months, political parties received Rs 545 crore in the 22nd sale of anonymous Electoral Bonds (EBs) conducted between October 1 and 10, according to data available from State Bank of India (SBI). The total amount collected by parties has gone up to Rs 10,791 crore from various anonymous donors in 22 phases since 2018 when the Electoral Bond Scheme was introduced. Political parties received EBs worth Rs 389.50 crore from donors in the previous sale in July this year. Read more here
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The Chief Election Commissioner says there are over 4.9 crore electors eligible to vote in the Gujarat polls. There will be more than 51,000 polling stations set up, including more than 34,000 in rural areas, for electors, he adds.
Before announcing the schedule, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expresses condolences for the victims of the Morbi bridge collapse.
The Election Commission has started the press conference to announce the dates of the Gujarat polls. Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar is addressing a press conference.
Here is key information on Himachal Pradesh, which goes to polls in a single-phase on November 12.
The Election Commission normally holds elections together in states where incumbent governments are completing their five-year terms within six months, and announces the poll dates for these states simultaneously. This year, however, when it announced the poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh - voting on November 12 and results on December 8 -- it refrained from releasing dates for Gujarat. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said announcement of multiple state polls together leads to longer wait-time for the declaration of results for some. Read more here
The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule for the Gujarat Assembly elections today. The poll body has called a press conference at noon in New Delhi. Ahead of the announcement, the Centre has deployed 160 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to the state.