Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that calls for the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies should be held simultaneously. The Election Commission (EC) backed the suggestion. But EC has promptly deviated from it. It has announced poll dates for Himachal Pradesh but not for Gujarat. Elections in the two states are usually held simultaneously. EC has stated that it does not want Gujarat to have a long period under the model code of conduct because the state government needs more time for flood relief. The opposition parties however argue that EC has given the ruling BJP in Gujarat more time to offer sops to the electorate. It is hoped that the EC did not do it for that reason. Voting in Himachal will be on November 9. The Congress is in the saddle in that state. But Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is not in a comfortable position. He is under a cloud about a disproportionate assets case. Besides, the law and order situation in the state has gone downhill. In fighting between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Congress President Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has affected the party’s electoral prospects adversely. There is also the past experience of the state alternating between the Congress and the BJP in successive terms.
The BJP in Gujarat is not going smoothly either. There is factional fight weakening the party’s prospects at the hustings. The party may not declare a candidate for chief ministership and leave it to Modi to be the decisive factor. This strategy paid rich dividends in Uttar Pradesh. However, outside the Hindi belt, Modi’s charisma appears to be dimming.