New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced the poll schedule for 182-member Gujarat Assembly which will see its term ending on February 18, 2023. In a press conference held in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced that Gujarat will undergo polls in two phases with first phase of election on December 1 while the second phase of polling will be held on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 8, 2022.


Gujarat Assembly Election 2022: Phase 1 


For the first phase of polling in 89 Asssembly Consituencies the gazette notifcation will be issued on November 5 and last date for filing nominations will be November 14. Date for scrutiny of nominations has been set for November 15 and last date for withdrawal of candiature will be November 17. 


Polling will take place on December 1 and the votes will be counted on December 8. 


Gujarat Assembly Election 2022: Phase 2


In the second phase of election, polls will be held at 93 assembly constituencies which will commence with release of gazette notification on November 10. Last date for filing nominations will be November 17 and the date for scrutiny of nominations will be November 18. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their candidature till November 21. 


The voters will cast their votes on December 5 and the counting will take place on December 8 and the entire process will be completed by December 10, the CEC said. 


 





Other highlights of the press conference are as follows: 



  • Focus on new voters, women, people with disabilities (PwD), and third gender voters. 

  • Postal ballot for absentee voters — senior citizens above 80 years of age, PwD with a benchmark of 40 per cent disability, and Covid infected patients.

  • There will be a total of 51,782 polling stations of which 50 percent will have a webcasting facility.  

  • Assured minimum facilities on every polling station - ramp/wheelchair, toilets, drinking water.

  • There will be 182 model polling stations across the states and 1,274 polling stations will be managed by women while 182 polling stations will be operated by PwDs.

  • For the first time, 33 polling stations will be set up and managed by youngest available polling staff in a bid to encourage first time and young voters.

  • cVigil App for grievance redressal with response within 100 minutes and PwD App for new registration, migration, correction in EPIC details and request for a wheelchair. ‘KYC portal’ for voters to know about the candidates contesting the election and ‘Suvidha portal’ for candidates to file nominations and affidavits and seek permission for rallies and meetings. 


ABP-CVoter Opinion Poll : Gujarat Assembly Election 2022


The ABP-CVoter Opinion Poll has predicted a seventh consecutive term for incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat with a projection of 135 to 143 seats, expanding the margin by 40 seats. 


Meanwhile the Congress party that won 77 seats in 2017 polls is expected to remain limited to 36 to 44 seats in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Polls 2022. 


Debutant Aam Aadmi Party may struggle to gain a foothold in BJP’s turf with a single seat projection in the upcoming polls