The Election Commission of India has announced the dates of elections of Himachal Pradesh assembly, reports ndtv.com.

The dates of Gujarat polls haven't been announced yet.

HP will have single phase polls on November 12 and the counting will be held on December 8.

The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on February 18 while that of Himachal Pradesh ends on January 8. The Election Commission recently visited both the states to review election preparedness.

The Gujarat assembly has 182 seats with 92 as the majority mark; in Himachal Pradesh, which has 68 assembly seats, 35 is the majority.

In the 2017 election, the BJP won 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress 77. In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP won 44 seats and Congress 21.

Back-to-back rallies and visits by top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have set the stage for the crucial elections in the two BJP-ruled states.

The BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for 22 years, has been challenged by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with its leader Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, making frequent visits to the state and making several election promises.

Though the Congress is the leading Opposition party in Gujarat, AAP recently said it has dislodged the party as the BJP's main rival.