The Election Commission of India announced by-elections for five assembly constituencies spread across four states. The seats going to the polls are Kadi and Visavadar in Gujarat, Nilambur in Kerala, Ludhiana West in Punjab and Kaliganj in West Bengal.
The Commission also clarified the reasons behind the vacancies, which triggered the need for these by-elections. With the official announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in all five constituencies.
Voting On June 19, Counting On June 23
Polling for all the seats will be conducted on June 19, while the counting of votes will take place on June 23, as per the schedule released by the Election Commission.
To ensure a transparent and efficient voting process, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will be used in every polling station. The Commission has confirmed that an adequate supply of both EVMs and VVPATs has been arranged in advance.
Gujarat will see bypolls in Kadi and Visavadar. The Kadi seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki, while Visavadar became vacant after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. In Kerala, the Nilambur seat is up for election after the resignation of MLA P. V. Anvar. In Punjab, the Ludhiana West seat will go to polls after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. West Bengal’s Kaliganj seat is also up for bypoll due to the death of MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in all five constituencies.
In Gujarat, the Congress has decided to contest the Kadi and Visavadar bypolls independently, without its INDIA bloc partner Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil said the party’s decision was based on past trends, adding that AAP’s previous campaign failed to garner more than 11% votes and had hurt Congress' prospects.
In Punjab, the Congress has fielded former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for Ludhiana West, a move approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The AAP has already nominated Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, while the Shiromani Akali Dal has chosen Parupkar Singh Ghuman. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate.
The Ludhiana West bypoll process begins on May 26, with the last date for nominations being June 2. Scrutiny will take place on June 3, and candidates can withdraw until June 5.
Elections in all five seats will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). The Election Commission has ensured sufficient availability of these to conduct a smooth and transparent voting process.
