Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022: Check FULL schedule, important DATES and other details

Gujarat will vote in 2 phases on December 1 and 5 and the results will be announced on December 8 along with Himachal Pradesh, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The Centre will deploy 160 companies of CAPF ahead of polls and the Model Coded of Conduct has come into effect from today. Check the full election schedule here.

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said that the Gujarat assembly election 2022 will be held in two phases - on Dec 1 and 5 - and the votes will be counted on December 8. The poll panel made this announcement during a press conference held at the Rang Bhavan auditorium of All India Radio.

Making the announcement, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioner Anoop Chandra Pandey, expressed condolences to the victims of the Morbi bridge collapse. At least 135 people died in the incident last Sunday.

CEC Kumar said that there are over 4.9 crore electors eligible to vote this year, adding that there will be more than 51,000 polling stations set up, including more than 34,000 in rural areas. Ahead of the polls, the Centre has deployed 160 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces to the state.

Here's the Gujarat Assembly Election 2022 Full Schedule

Gujarat Assembly Election Phase 1

Date of issue of gazette notification: November 05

Last date of nominations for Gujarat polls: November 14

Scrutiny date for nominations: November 15

Last date of withdrawal of nominations: November 17

Date of Gujarat phase 1 polling: December 01 (Thursday)

Date of vote counting: December 08

Gujarat Assembly Election Phase 2

Date of issue of gazette notification: November 10

-Last date of nominations for Gujarat polls: November 17

-Scrutiny date for nominations: November 18

-Last date of withdrawal of nominations: November 21

-Date of Gujarat phase 1 polling: December 05 (Monday)

-Date of vote counting: December 08

-Election process to be completed by: December 10

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, before announcing the dates of the polls, expressed condolences to the victims of the Morbi bridge collapse. At least 135 people died in the incident last Sunday.

Kumar said there are over 4.9 crore electors eligible to vote this year, adding that there will be more than 51,000 polling stations set up, including more than 34,000 in rural areas. Ahead of the polls, the Centre has deployed 160 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces to the state.

The term of the 182-member state Assembly ends on February 18, 2023. After the announcement of Gujarat poll dates, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the state.

The CEC said that for enhanced Voting Experience, 1274 PS will be completely managed by women polling & security staff. Around 51,782 Polling Stations (PS) will be set up across 182 ACs for hassle-free voting.

The home voting facility will also be there for 80 years + & PwD voters with benchmark 40% disability, said CEC Rajiv Kumar.

The CEC said that for the first time, to motivate young voters, 33 PS will be set up managed by youngest available polling staff.

"As a unique initiative to facilitate voters & ensure no voter to be left behind, a PS will be set up in a shipping container at Aliabet in the Bharuch district with AMF for 217 voters,'' the CEC said. Earlier voters travelled 82 kms to vote.

The Election Commission had last month announced the polling dates for Himachal Pradesh but it refrained from doing the same for Gujarat. The ECI sources had earlier reported that the voting in Gujarat may be held in two phases in the first week of December. Counting of votes may be done along with Himachal Pradesh on December 8, said sources.

Assembly elections in Gujarat were last held in 2017 when the BJP emerged victorious to secure a fifth straight term in power. Last time, the saffron party won 99 of the 182 seats in the state assembly, while the Congress secured 77.

This year's election is set to be a three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Leaders of the saffron party have exuded confidence that they will retain power in Gujarat, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has launched an all-out campaign to woo voters in the state.