Gujarat polls to be held in December, announces Chief Election Commissioner

Gandhinagar: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Achal Kumar Jyoti on Tuesday announced that assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in December this year.

"The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on January 22, so the election will have to be completed in December. Assembly elections will mostly be conducted in the December," Jyoti said at a press conference in poll-bound Gujarat.

He, however, not informed that whether the state will see a one or two-phased election and said that they are still assessing various aspects.

The Election Commission also imposed a blanket ban on the possession of arms and weapons by civilian in the wake of the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections.

"License holders will have to deposit their licensed weapons with concerned SHO or police station," he said.

All licensed weapons will be returned to the licensed owners after the polling is over, the Chief Election Commissioner said.

The Commission also asked the State authorities to provide cashless facilities to all polling staff.

The fourteenth legislative assembly election will be held this year to elect members of the 182 constituencies in Gujarat.

Eyeing the assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have begun rigorous election campaign for the western state.