New Delhi: Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are going to be announced soon. Stepping up preparations for assembly elections, the Election Commission team will visit Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat today to take stock of the poll preparedness in the two states. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey are on a three-day visit to Himachal Pradesh from Thursday. They will brainstorm with top state government officials to review the preparations and ensure the smooth conduct of the elections.

Kumar and Pandey are also expected to visit Gujarat next Monday (September 26) to take stock of the preparations. The terms of the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assemblies end on January 8, 2023, and February 23, 2023, respectively. The Election Commission can hold elections at any time within six months of the expiry of the five-year term of either House. Himachal Pradesh went to polls on November 9, 2017, while Gujarat went to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The Election Commission often visits the states before announcing the election schedule. In 2017, Himachal Pradesh went to polls on November 9, while Gujarat went to polls in two phases on December 9 and December 14. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998 and the main opposition Congress came close to defeating it in the last assembly elections of 2017, but the government was formed by the BJP.

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