New Delhi: The Election Commission, after much anticipation and growing criticism, on Monday declared the dates for the Gujarat assembly election, almost two weeks after it announced the schedule for Himachal polls.
The Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, castigated the poll panel for the delay in the announcement, alleging that the Modi government was “putting pressure on EC to defer announcement of Gujarat election along with Himachal, to suit its political ends (sic).”
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram led the charge against the EC, accusing the Commission of going on an “extended holiday".
While announcing the poll dates on Wednesday, CEC Achal Kumar Joti defended the delay, saying that multiple factors, including the weather, flood relief work, and festivities, were considered before taking a call on election dates.
With the declaration of dates (9th and 14th December 2017), the poll panel has given political parties a period of 50 days to campaign.
In 1995, the then chief election commissioner, T N Seshan, announced the poll dates on December 8, 1994.
The results were announced on February 20, 1995, giving contenders more than two months for electioneering.
The Bhartiya Janata Party won 121 of the 182 seats it contested, and for the first time, won a majority in the state assembly.
Party veteran Keshubhai Patel became the chief minister. However, Keshubhai’s tenure was cut short as another BJP leader Shankarsinh Vaghela rose banner of revolt against him. BJP’s central leadership replaced him with Suresh Mehta.
The next time Gujarat went to poll was in 1998. The then poll panel chief, MS Gill, scheduled the election for January 28.
February 28 was set for the counting, giving candidates and parties 31 days to pitch for themselves.
The BJP won 117 of 182 seats it contested, garnering a whopping 44.81% of the votes.
Keshubhai Patel, for the second time, was handed over the reins of the state. Three-and-a-half years into the government, the leadership issue again plagued the state BJP. Under Keshubhai’s leadership, the party lost panchayat elections in 2000, and then two bye-elections to the Sabarmati assembly seat and the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha constituency in September 2001.
On October 2, Keshubhai resigned from his post. Five days later, on October 7, amid a lot of fanfare, the second BJP Ministry headed by Narendra Modi was sworn in by the then Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari.
The 2002 state polls were held post-Godhra violence. The then Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, on July 19, 2002, through a one-line state cabinet resolution prematurely dissolved the Assembly.
The BJP wanted an early assembly poll, but the Election Commission was in no mood to oblige. Four months later, on November 18, 2002, the then chief election commissioner, J. M. Lyngdoh, announced December 12 for the election, giving just 24 days for campaigning.
The BJP, under Narendra Modi’s leadership, won 127 of the 182 seats it contested, winning almost 50% of votes.
The poll panel gave a long rope to political parties during the 2007 assembly polls.
While the model code of conduct kicked in on October 10, the two-phase polls were held on December 11 and 16 respectively. This gave parties 56 days to campaign.
The incumbent BJP came back to power, winning 117 of the 182 seats it contested, polling 49.12% of the votes.
The last assembly polls in the state were held in 2012. The Election Commission announced the two-phase poll dates on October 3, 2012. While the first phase was scheduled for December 13, the concluding phase was held on December 17, 2012.
This gave candidates almost 74 days to pitch for their election, the lengthiest period in the last many polls. The BJP reclaimed the state with 115 seats and 48.30% of the votes polled.
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