New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for by-elections in five Assembly constituencies across Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal. Polling is set for June 19, with vote counting on June 23.
In Kerala, the bypolls will be held for the Nilambur seat.
Of the five constituencies going to the polls, two are in Gujarat – Kadi (a reserved seat) and Visavadar.
Punjab will see the bypolls in Ludhiana West, and in West Bengal, the seat where the by-election will be held is Kaliganj.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule on X this Sunday. The Gazette Notification will be issued on May 26, with June 2 set as the deadline for nominations. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 3, while candidates can withdraw until June 5. The election process is expected to conclude by June 25.
The bypoll to the Nilambur Assembly seat in Kerala was necessitated by the resignation of Independent MLA P.V. Anvar.
In Gujarat, the Visavadar seat became vacant after AAP MLA Bhupatbhai Bhayani resigned and later joined the BJP. Meanwhile, the Kadi seat, reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, was left vacant following the passing of BJP MLA Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki.
The Ludhiana West Assembly seat in Punjab became vacant after the passing of Congress MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. In West Bengal, elections will be held in Kalighat following the demise of veteran Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, who suffered a cardiac arrest in February.
With the election schedule now announced, the Model Code of Conduct is in effect across districts where any part of the affected Assembly constituencies falls, according to the ECI.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated that candidates with criminal antecedents must disclose their background in newspapers and on television three times during the campaign period. Political parties fielding such candidates must also publish this information on their website, in newspapers, and on television on three occasions.
To ensure voters have ample time to assess candidates' backgrounds, the disclosure periods are divided into three phases: within the first four days after withdrawal, between the 5th and 8th days, and from the 9th day until two days before the polling date.
Additionally, parties must publish the details and justification for selecting candidates with criminal records within 48 hours of their nomination. This information will also be accessible on the ‘Know Your Candidates’ app.
(inputs from IANS)