New Delhi:

Following requests from several political parties, the Election Commission of India has changed the polling date for by-elections in 14 Assembly constituencies across Kerala, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The polling, which was earlier scheduled for November 13, will now be held on November 20. Votes will be counted on November 23.

Sources in the poll panel said multiple political parties had requested for a change in the polling date, citing festivals such as Kalpathi Rastholsavam (November 13-15), Kartik Purnima (November 15) and Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev (November 15). The parties had said these festivals may impact voter turnout in these states.

Nine Assembly constituents in Uttar Pradesh, four in Punjab and one in Kerala are voting in these bypolls. A total of 48 Assembly seats and 2 Parliamentary constituencies across 15 states will be voting in these by-elections that are being held alongside the Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The poll panel said national and state parties have made representations for the change of polling date “considering large-scale social, cultural and religious engagements on that day which may cause inconvenience to large number of people, give rise to various logistic issues and may lead to reduced voter participation during the poll”.

In the past too, the Election Commission has changed polling dates when they coincided with festivals to ensure voters’ convenience and higher turnouts, a sources from the poll panel said. 

The Election Commission clarified that the date of counting of votes in these seats remains unchanged — November 23.

Kerala’s Palakkad and Punjab’s Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha and Barnala will vote in the upcoming bypolls. Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are due include Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, Majhawan.

Most of these bypolls are being held after the sitting MLAs contested and won Lok Sabha election and must now vacate the Assembly seats they hold. Besides the Assembly seats, two vacant Lok Sabha seats — Nanded and Wayanad — will also vote in this round of bypolls. 

Lucknow:

INDIA bloc candidates will contest all nine seats in the upcoming bypolls on his party’s election symbol ‘cycle’, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav announced on Wednesday.

He said the alliance’s decision was not informed by any seat-sharing math but its pursuit of victory.

“Congress and Samajwadi Party are united and stand shoulder to shoulder for a big victory. India bloc is going to write a new chapter of victory in this by-election,” Mr Yadav said in a post on X.

“With this unprecedented cooperation and support, every worker of ‘INDIA bloc’ on all 9 assembly seats is filled with new energy with the resolve to win,” he added.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that the coming election will be fought for the protection of the country’s Constitution, peace, and the honour of “Pichchde (backwards), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Minorities).” Bypolls will be held on November 13 on nine seats– Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Eight of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha, while a bypoll is being held on the Sisamau seat due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.

The Congress had originally demanded five of 10 assembly seats (including Milkipur).

The SP, however, last week said the Congress had agreed to contest on two seats, Ghaziabad and Khair (Aligarh), leaving the rest to the SP.

The Election Commission has announced a by-election on nine seats, leaving out Milkipur (Ayodhya).

The last date for filing nominations is October 25.

The SP has already declared its candidates from Karhal, Sisamau, Phulpur, Milkipur, Katehari, Majahawan and Meerapur.

Counting of votes will take place on November 23.