In December, the state of Gujarat in western India will hold elections which will serve as a test for the ruling Congress party, which is currently experiencing its most difficult situation since coming into power in 2004. India's election authorities have also announced that voting for a new assembly in Himachal Pradesh, a northern state, will take place on Nov. 14 and Dec. 19. According to political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan, this will be the first direct confrontation between the Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since changes in the country's political atmosphere, particularly concerning the nuclear deal. The Congress, which leads India's ruling coalition, is facing a significant challenge from its leftist allies regarding a nuclear deal with the United States that is opposed by its communist partners. The leftist allies have threatened to withdraw their support for the coalition if the government proceeds with the deal. If that were to occur, the government would be left with less seats than the opposition, potentially leading to early national elections. Over 30 million voters will participate in electing 182 seats in Gujarat on Dec. 11 and Dec. 16, where Chief Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party has been victorious in the past three elections. Modi faced criticism five years ago for allegedly ignoring Hindu-Muslim riots in which human rights groups claim around 2,500, predominantly Muslims, were killed, although the official count is closer to 1,000. The riots were sparked by a train fire that resulted in the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims in 2002. The fire was allegedly ignited by a group of Muslims.