Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll date announced

NEW DELHI: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly election will be held on November 9, and counting of votes will be held on December 18, said the Election Commission (EC) today.

The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7.

The EC added that Assembly elections in Gujarat will take place before December 18+ , but did not specify a date.

"This will enable simultaneous counting in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat," said Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti.

The term of the 182-member Gujarat Assembly ends on January 22.

Both Assembly elections are being highly anticipated, as many believe their results will reflect not just the states' pulse but will also shed some light on how the nation might vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress government of the corruption-tainted chief minister Virbhadra Singh is on the back foot+ . Still, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday announced that Singh will be the party's chief ministerial candidate. Singh has been CM of the state six times.

The incumbent BJP government in Gujarat will look to retain power, of course, but some clever campaigning from the Congress is giving it some sleepless nights.

Of the five Assembly polls held earlier this year, the BJP won four, sweeping Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and cobbling together a majority in Goa and Manipur.

The Congress got a bump, with a convincing victory in Punjab.