Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday released the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto ahead of the Assembly polls in the state. The Himachal Pradesh elections will be held on November 9 and the results will be declared on December 18.

“One of our very experienced leaders will be the chief ministerial candidate,” Jaitley said. “But it is a matter of strategy whether the party announces it or decides it after the election.” The party’s manifesto promises voters of a priority to health, education, agriculture, education for girls and a focus on environmental-friendly development projects.

On October 12, the Election Commission was criticised for announcing the poll dates for Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh before it announced the schedule for Gujarat. The commission, however, defended its decision. The Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh was scheduled for November, earlier than in Gujarat, because of the probability of snowfall in the northern state, Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti had said.