The Election Commission of India has announced bypolls for 13 assembly constituencies across seven states. These bypolls are being held to fill vacancies caused by the deaths or resignations of current members. Let’s take a closer look at the constituencies going to polls:
Bihar
Rupauli: The assembly seat in Rupauli will witness a bypoll. The gazette notification for filing nominations will be issued on June 14. Candidates must file their nomination papers by June 21, with scrutiny taking place on June 24. The final date for withdrawing nomination papers is June 26. The polling is scheduled for July 10, and results will be announced on July 13.
The by-election in Rupauli was necessitated after sitting MLA Bima Bharti of the JD-U resigned from her post on March 24 and joined the RJD.
West Bengal
Raiganj:The bypoll in Raiganj, West Bengal, is being held due to the resignation of MLA Krishna Kalyani. He had joined the ruling TMC but lost the Lok Sabha polls for the Raiganj seat to BJP candidate Kartik Paul. The Election Commission has scheduled the bypoll for July 10, with vote counting set for July 13.
Ranaghat Dakshin: Another assembly seat up for bypolls in West Bengal. The bypoll in Ranaghat Dakshin, West Bengal, is being held due to the resignation of MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari. He had joined the TMC but lost the Lok Sabha polls for the Ranaghat seat to BJP candidate Jagannath Sarkar.
Bagda: The Bagda assembly seat in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, is heading for a bypoll due to the resignation of MLA Biswajit Das. He had contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Bangaon constituency but unfortunately lost. As a result, the Bagda seat became vacant, prompting the Election Commission to schedule the by-election for July 10. The counting of votes will take place on July 13.
Maniktala: Voters in Maniktala too will head to the polls. Maniktala seat fell vacant after the demise of TMC veteran and minister Sadhan Pandey. Election Commission has scheduled the by-election for July 10. The counting of votes will take place on July 13.
The election notification for these four constituencies will be released on June 14, with nominations due by June 21. Scrutiny of nomination papers will occur on June 24, and candidates can withdraw their candidatures until June 26. The polling day is July 10, and results will be declared on July 13.
Tamil Nadu
Vikravandi: The Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, is heading for a bypoll due to the unfortunate demise of DMK legislator N. Pugazhenthi in April this year. As a result, the seat became vacant, prompting the Election Commission of India (ECI) to schedule the by-election for July 10. The counting of votes is set to take place on July 13.
Madhya Pradesh
Amarwara: Amarwara constituency will go to polls. The Amarwara assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh is heading for a bypoll due to the resignation of three-time Congress MLA Kamlesh Shah. He stepped down in March 2024, and subsequently joined the ruling BJP. In the November 2023 elections, Kamlesh Shah secured victory on a Congress ticket, defeating BJP nominee Monika Manmohan Shah Batti. The upcoming by-election is scheduled for July 10, with vote counting set for July 13
Uttarakhand
Badrinath and Manglaur: Both Badrinath and Manglaur will witness by-elections.
The Badrinath assembly seat in Uttarakhand is heading for a bypoll due to the resignation of Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari. He stepped down from his position in March and subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission has scheduled the by-election for July 10, and the counting of votes will take place on July 13.
The Manglaur assembly seat in Uttarakhand is heading for a bypoll due to the unfortunate demise of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari last October. His passing created a vacancy in the seat, prompting the Election Commission to schedule the by-election for July 10. The counting of votes will take place on July 13.
Punjab
Jalandhar West: The Jalandhar West assembly constituency in Punjab is heading for a bypoll due to the resignation of Sheetal Angural, who was the AAP’s Jalandhar West (SC) lawmaker. He stepped down from the assembly on March 28, a day after he and then-Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku switched over to the BJP from AAP. The bypoll is scheduled for July 10, with vote counting set for July 13.
Himachal Pradesh
Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh: These three assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh will also have by-elections.
The bypoll in Dehra is being held due to the resignation of Hoshiar Singh, an independent candidate who won the Dehra Assembly segment twice in 2017 and 2022. After resigning as an independent MLA, he joined the BJP just before the Lok Sabha elections.
The bypolls in Hamirpur and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh are taking place due to the resignation of two incumbent Independent MLAs: Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), and K. L. Thakur (Nalagarh). These MLAs submitted their resignations, which were accepted by Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on June 3. Following their resignations, they joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the next day. The bypolls for these Assembly seats will be held on July 10, with results announced on July 13.
Which parties currently govern the states with Bypoll?
Let’s take a look at the current state governments in the states where bypolls are scheduled:
- Punjab: The current state government in Punjab is led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Bhagwant Mann is the Chief Minister.
- Himachal Pradesh: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms the state government in Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister is Jai Ram Thakur.
- Uttarakhand: The BJP is in power in Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister is Pushkar Singh Dhami.
- Bihar: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the BJP and Janata Dal (United), holds the government in Bihar. The Chief Minister is Nitish Kumar.
- Madhya Pradesh: The BJP is currently in power in Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Mohan Yadav succeeded Shivraj Singh Chouhan as Chief Minister after the 2023 elections.
- Tamil Nadu: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister is M. K. Stalin.
- West Bengal: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) led by Mamata Banerjee forms the state government in West Bengal.
The bypolls are scheduled for July 10, with vote counting set for July 13. The Election Commission has emphasized that the by-elections must be concluded by July 15.
