EC to announce poll schedule for Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh today

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the poll dates for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Friday. The poll body will announce the schedule at a press meet at 3pm.

Political parties have started campaigning in these states ahead of the elections. In Gujarat, the ruling BJP launched the Gaurav Yatra earlier this week.

In the run-up to the high-stake elections, the BJP has planned five yatras, aiming to cover 144 Assembly constituencies, out of the total 182, as part of its voter outreach campaign.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also intensified its campaign with frequent visits from party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwal and Manish Sisodia to the poll-bound state. Pitching his party as a key challenger to the BJP which has been ruling the state for 27 years, Kejriwal had appealed to the state's voters to give the AAP a chance.

In Himachal Pradesh, too, the BJP has been campaigning aggressively. Modi announced a slew of development projects during his recent visit.

In Una, he also flagged off a Vande Bharat Express. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will launch the party's election campaign in Himachal Pradesh on Friday with a rally in Solan district.

The AAP is also in the race and had announced its first list of candidates in September.

The term of the Gujarat Assembly ends on February 18, 2023, whereas the term of the Himachal House ends on January 8, 2023.