HIMACHAL POLLS ON NOV 9; GUJ BEFORE DEC. 18

New Delhi, Oct. 12: Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on November 9 while Gujarat polls will be held before December 18.

Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on November 9 with the hill state set to witness an intense battle between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

Making the announcement here on Thursday, the Election Commission said the results will be declared on December 18. The dates for Assembly elections in Gujarat were not announced but Chief Election Commissioner A.K. Joti said the polls will be held before December 18.

“This is being done to ensure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the other state...polling in Gujarat will be held before December 18 (when HP results are announced),” Joti said.

The tenures of Himachal and Gujarat assemblies end on January 7, 2018 and January 22.

“The Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately,” Joti said while announcing the poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh. The model code of conduct will be applicable for Himachal Pradesh as well as for the Union government in matters related to the state.

For the first time ever, the Election Commission will set up 136 all-woman managed polling booths in Himachal Pradesh, with each constituency having two of them.