EC to announce dates for Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat assembly elections at 4pm today

The election commission will on Thursday evening announce poll dates for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The contest comes at a time when the Modi government is under pressure over a sputtering economy and the Congress is looking at a leadership change.

Without waiting for the dates, both the parties have launched their campaigns and have been trading charges.

While the Congress is in power in the hill state of Himachal, the BJP has been ruling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat for around 22 years now.

In Himachal, the two parties in the last few decades have taken turn to rule the hill state. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh will lead the Congress into the election for the 68-member assembly while the BJP is unlikely to name its CM candidate.

The ruling BJP in Gujarat is facing anti-incumbency and anger of the powerful Patidar community demanding quota in education and government jobs.

Gujarat is also the home state of BJP chief Amit Shah and the election will be closely watched as the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had questioned “jobless growth” and “hardships” caused by the government’s demonetisation decision and “hasty” implementation of goods and services tax during his recent tour of the state.

There is a possibility of Gandhi being elected the Congress chief after Diwali. If that happens, the two states would be the first poll test for the new party chief. Gujarat has a 182-member assembly.