The Election Commission of India(ECI) will hold a press conference today at 12pm to announce the schedule of the Gujarat Assembly elections. The tenure of the present Assembly in Gujarat is set to expire on February 18 next year. Earlier this month, the poll panel had announced the date for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. The hill state will vote on November 12 and the counting will take place on December 8. While announcing the poll schedule for Himachal, the EC had clearly hinted that the results of both states---Gujarat and Himachal will be declared on the same day i.e, December 8.
In 2017 as well, election dates for both states were announced separately but the counting of votes took place simultaneously on December 18. Since 1998, this is the third time the announcement of Gujarat Assembly elections has been de-linked from that of Himachal Pradesh.Polls in Himachal and Gujarat were held simultaneously in 1998, 2007, 2012 but were held separately in 2002-03, after the Gujarat Assembly was prematurely dissolved soon following the Godhra riots. Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after Himachal poll schedule was announced.