All eyes are on results of of seven bypolls held across 6 states; from UP’s Ghosi to West Bengal Dhupguri, first litmus test of INDIA bloc; read full details here
The results for bypolls to seven assembly seats in six states will be declared on Friday. This is significant, as this is first electoral contest between the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The counting of votes will 8 am at centres set up in the respective states.
The seven seats are — Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand,Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.
Here are state-wise details of counting in each state on Friday
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GHOSI BYPOLL, UTTAR PRADESH
The by-election saw the INDIA alliance putting up a united front in the Ghosi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, where the voting was moderate at around 50.77 per cent,
In Uttar Pradesh, the Ghosi seat fell vacant after the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined the BJP.
For the BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the campaign.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had skipped campaigning for the other two prestigious bypolls in Rampur and Azamgarh last year, addressed an election meeting in Ghosi.
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DUMRI BYPOLL, JHARKHAND
In Jharkhand’s Dumri, a total of 64.84 per cent of 2.98 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of JMM MLA Jagarnath Mahto, former education minister, in April.
The counting centre has been set up at Krishi Bazar Samiti, Pachambha, in Giridih district.
“In all, 24 rounds of counting will be held and over 70 officials have been deployed for the exercise,” Giridih Deputy Commissioner-cum-Election Officer Naman Priesh Lakra told PTI.
“Central Armed Police Force and various wings of Jharkhand police have been deployed to ensure free and fair counting,” he added
DHUPGURI BYPOLL, WEST BENGAL
In West Bengal’s Dhupguri, central armed police forces and state police are guarding the strong room on the second campus of North Bengal University in Jalpaiguri, an official said.
Around 76 per cent of 2.6 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in Bengal.
The seat had witnessed a three-cornered contest among the TMC, BJP and the Congress-supported CPI(M). The last election in 2021 was won by the BJP, and before that in 2016 it had gone to TMC.
TRIPURA BYPOLLS
In Tripura, the ECI has taken necessary steps to conduct the counting in a transparent way.
Counting of votes to both the seats – Boxanagar and Dhanpur — will take place at Sonamura Girls’ HS School.
“There is tight security at the counting centre,” Sepahijala district magistrate Vishal Kumar told PTI.
In another development, the CPI(M) has announced to boycott the counting of Tripura bypolls alleging largescale rigging in the two constituencies during voting.
PUTHUPPALLY BYPOLL, KERALA
Puthuppally constituency, located in the Kerala’s southern Kottayam district, witnessed a war of words for the past few weeks between the ruling and opposition fronts in the state.
According to Election Commission sources, the counting of votes would begin by 8.00 am at the special counting station in the Baselius College. Postal and service ballots would be counted first, they said.
The total number of booths in Puthuppally was 182, and the counting of votes in the electronic voting machines would be conducted in 13 rounds.
The bypoll was necessitated on account of the death of former Kerala Chief Minister and Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy in July this year.
BAGESHWAR BYPOLL, UTTARAKHAND
For the Bageshwar assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand, the counting will be done at 14 tables with 130 polling personnel on the job, District Magistrate Anuradha Pal said on Thursday, news agency PTI said.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA and cabinet minister Chandan Ram Das in April this year.
