Gujarat Election In Two Phases on Dec 09 and 14,Counting on Dec 18,2017

The dates for the Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 have been announced by the Election Commission of India(ECI)on Wednesday.

Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti announced that a model code of conduct, which prohibits announcements that can influence voters, comes into effect immediately.

The opposition parties, led by Congress, had accused the Centre of pressuring the election body to allow the BJP more time to announce sops and launch big projects, a charge that both the ECI and the ruling party have rejected.

Top takeaways from the announcement

— The 2017 Gujarat Assembly Elections will have two phases, with phase 1 being held on December 9 and phase 2 taking place on December 14. The counting of votes will take place on December 18.

— VVPAT paper trail machines will be used in all the poll booths. VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted.

— As a pilot project, VVPAT slips will be counted in some polling booths

— There will be a total of 50,128 polling booths, with 4.33 crore people eligible voters. 182 of the polling booths will be all-women managed.

— A mobile app is being introduced so that anyone who has a complaint, can lodge it via the program.

— The height of the voting compartment will also be increased to maintain secrecy

— Differently-abled voters will be given preference at polling stations

— CCTVs will be installed at critical polling booths and border checkpoints

— GIS (Geographic Information System) based real-time monitoring of election activities will take place during the polls

— The CEC said that the announcement for the election dates were delayed as flood relief work was going on in Gujarat

In Phase I nearly 2.1 crore people will vote in 89 constituencies across 19 districts

The elections would be held for 182 seats, out of which 13 seats are reserved for SC and 27 for ST.

Schedule of Phase I elections (89 constituencies and 19 districts)

Issue of gazzete: November 14
Last day of filing nomination: November 21

Scrutiny of application: November 22

First phase polling/ election date: December 9

In Phase II 2.21 crore voters cast their votes in 92 constituencies across 14 districts

Schedule of second phase elections (92 constituencies and 14 districts)

Last day of filing nomination: November 27

Second phase polling/ election date: December 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home turf, the BJP won last five Assembly elections. In 2012, the party won 115 seats out of 182 seats