New Delhi: Voting for the bye-elections to the seven assembly constituencies of six states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tripura, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, started on Tuesday at 7 am.
Notably, this is the first election between the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition blocโs newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Voting for bye-elections is being held for Keralaโs Puthupally, Dhupguri seat in West Bengalโs Jalpaiguri, Dumri in Jharkhand and Uttarkhandโs Bageshwar, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura. The Election Commission will release the results of bye-elections on Friday, September 8.
Bypolls in five states were necessitated due to the deaths of the sitting MLAs, while the two other MLAs resigned from their posts. In Uttar Pradeshโs Ghosi, Dara Singh Chauhanโs reelection as Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA necessitated bypolls. Chauhan joined the BJP after leaving the SP. The BJP has filed Chauhan against SPโs Sudhakar Singh for the Ghose byelections.
Bye-election in Tripuraโs Dhanpur was necessitated after the BJPโs Pratima Bhoumik resigned to retain her Lok Sabha seat, leaving the assembly vacant. Bhoumikโs brother Bindu Debnath will be fighting for the BJP against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur for the bypolls.
The BJP and CPI (M) will contest against each other in Tripuraโs Boxanagar seat, which fell vacant after the death of CPI (MK) MLA Samsul Haque. In Uttarakhandโs Bageshwar seat, the battle will be between the SP, Congress, and BJP against each other. A bye-election in Bageshwar was prompted by the death of BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass.
Congress veteran Oomen Chandyโs death necessitated the bypolls in Keralaโs Puthupally seat. Congress has fielded Oommen Chandyโs son, Chandy Oomen, while the ruling party CPI (M) has fielded Jaick C. Thomas from this constituency.
A bypoll in Jharkhandโs Dumri was necessitated after the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Jagarnath Mahto. JMM has filed Mahtoโs wife, Bebi Devi, who is representing the India bloc, against NDAโs Yashoda Devu and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Abdul Rizvi.
In West Bengalโs Dhupguri, the bye-election was necessary after the death of the BJPโs Bishnu Pada Ray. Tapas Ray from the BJP is contesting against Nirma Chandra Roy and CPI (M) candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy.
