New Delhi: The Ghosi assembly bye-election in Uttar Pradesh kicked off with a promising start, as over 20 percent of registered voters cast their ballots by 11 AM today, according to the Election Commission of India.
Simultaneously, voting for bye-elections in six other assembly constituencies across several states, including Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tripura, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, commenced promptly at 7 AM. The polling is scheduled to continue until 5 PM.
The bye-elections are taking place in various regions:
Kerala's Puthupally: This election became necessary following the demise of Congress veteran Oomen Chandy. Congress has fielded Chandy's son, Chandy Oomen, while the CPI (M) has nominated Jaick C. Thomas as their candidate.
West Bengal's Dhupguri: Following the passing of BJP's Bishnu Pada Ray, this bye-election became a necessity. The BJP's Tapas Ray is contesting against Nirma Chandra Roy and CPI (M) candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy.
Jharkhand's Dumri: After the unfortunate demise of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Jagarnath Mahto, a bye-election was called. JMM has nominated Mahto's wife, Bebi Devi, representing the India bloc. She is up against NDA's Yashoda Devu and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Abdul Rizvi.
Uttarakhand's Bageshwar: The Bageshwar Assembly bye-election witnesses a three-way battle between the SP, Congress, and BJP. This election was prompted by the untimely demise of BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass.
Tripura's Bageshwar: After the resignation of BJP's Pratima Bhoumik to retain her Lok Sabha seat, the Dhanpur assembly seat was vacated, leading to this bye-election. Bhoumik's brother, Bindu Debnath, is contesting for the BJP against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Kaushik Chanda.
Tripura's Boxanagar: The Boxanagar seat became vacant after the unfortunate demise of CPI (MK) MLA Samsul Haque. The BJP and CPI (M) are locked in a fierce contest for this seat.
In the Bageshwar Assembly bye-election, voter turnout stood at 26.03 percent, while in Tripura’s Dhanpur, it reached an impressive 39.48 percent. West Bengal’s Dhupguri witnessed a respectable turnout of 34.26 percent by 11 AM.
The Election Commission is scheduled to announce the results of the bye-elections on Friday, September 8. Notably, this bye-election marks the first electoral showdown between the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the newly-formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), representing the opposition bloc.
The need for bye-elections in these five states arose due to the unfortunate demise of sitting MLAs, while two other MLAs resigned.
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Bageshwar Constituency Bypoll Set for September 5
Puthuppally Assembly Bypoll in Kerala Witnesses Eager Voters