• Source:JND
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THE ELECTION Commission of India announced the dates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections on Thursday. The polls will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The results will be declared on December 8, the same as in Himachal Pradesh.

As the polling dates are approaching, here are the ten issues in the Gujarat Assembly polls scheduled for next month.

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays a big role in almost all assembly elections across states. As Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Modi, who served as Chief Minister of the state from 2001 to 2014, his sway over followers is intact. According to many political scientists, Modi will be a big factor in the upcoming polls.

2. The release of the convicts of Bilkis Bano will play a different role in the state, with each faction reacting differently on the decision. The remission of sentences of the convicts will play differently for the majority and minority communities. While, Muslims are demanding justice for the convicts, a faction of Hindus would like to ignore the issue.

3. The Morbi Bridge collapse, which claimed 135 lives, has brought forth the nexus between the administration and rich businessmen. This issue is likely to dominate the minds of people when they go to vote to select the next government in the upcoming polls.

4.While the Saffron Brigade ruling the state for 24-years, from 1998 on, has led to growing dissatisfaction among the people. Many believe that inflation, unemployment, and basic issues concerning life have remained unresolved even after so many years of the rule.

5. There is a shortage of access to basic healthcare and education in rural sections of the state. If schools are built in remote, rural areas, there will be a shortage of teachers. A lack of classrooms will also impede education, even if teachers are hired. Health services in rural areas suffer from a shortage of primary care facilities and doctors.

6. There is a resentment among the youth amid the frequent paper leaks and postponement of government recruitment exams, which have literally dashed the aspirations of youths working hard to get government jobs.

7. The farmers' issue will also prevail as an important aspect of the election as they have not been given compensation for crop loss due to continuous rains for the past two years.

8. The state was earlier known for its good roads. But, the last five to six years, neither the state government nor municipal corporations have been able to build or maintain effective highways. From all around the state, complaints about pothole-filled roadways are frequent.

9. Farmers and land owners who have had their properties taken over by the government for various initiatives are unhappy. For instance, farmers resisted the acquisition of land for the Ahmedabad to Mumbai high-speed train project. They were against the plans to build an expressway between Vadodara and Mumbai as well.

10. Gujarat has one of the country's highest electricity rates. People anticipate the Congress' and Aam Aadmi Party's plans to give away 300 units for free each month. According to the Southern Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry, they must pay Rs 7.50 per unit for commercial electricity, whereas their business rivals in Maharashtra and Telangana only pay Rs 4.