Now that the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh election schedule has been announced, it is worth repeating the obvious: depending on the results, there could be a sea change in the country’s overall political atmosphere.  More specifically, the outcome in the two states will decide the dates of the next general elections, currently due in May 2014, and signal major realignments. The D-day for Himachal is 4 November, and for Gujarat 13 and 17 December. Results will be known on 20 December.