Voting has started on Wednesday for bypolls in 15 assembly constituencies spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. Results are scheduled to be declared on November 23. Even though these bypolls will not change the composition of the legislative assemblies too much, it is a litmus test for political alliances like INDIA bloc and NDA post Lok Sabha elections.
Uttar Pradesh: 90 candidates in fray
In Uttar Pradesh, polling is on in nine constituencies: Katehari, Karhal, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur, and Kundarki. A total of 34,35,974 eligible voters, which are 18,46,846 men, 15,88,967 women and 161 third-gender individuals. Ghaziabad tops the list with the maximum number of voters and 14 candidates, while Sisamau has the lowest number of voters. These seats were divided during the 2022 elections between Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Bypolls for Four Assembly Seats in Punjab
Byelections are being held in four seats in Punjab: Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala. These elections were necessitated as sitting MLAs won the Lok Sabha earlier this year. Three key candidates for these elections are Manpreet Singh Badal (BJP), Amrita Warring (Congress), and Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon (AAP).
Kerala
The bypoll in Palakkad has been precipitated by the election of Congress MLA Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha. The fight promises to be triangular, with defections adding to the intrigue.
Uttarakhand
In Kedarnath, voting follows the demise of BJP MLA Shailarani Rawat. This seat has 90,540 eligible voters, with women accounting for 45,775. The key contenders here are Asha Nautiyal of the BJP and Manoj Rawat of Congress, both past experience in the constituency.
These by-polls are being observed closely as this may hint at a shift in voter mood before the big elections. With voting already on and the result awaiting on November 23, these states' political landscapes could witness minute yet productive changes.
Inputs by Agencies
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