EC announces by-elections to three assembly constituencies, including MP's Datia on July 30
Bhopal, July 2
The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced by-elections for three Assembly constituencies of Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The polling in all three assembly constituencies is scheduled to be held on July 30. The counting of votes will take place on August 3, the ECI said in an official statement.
The Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti. He was disqualified from the state legislative assembly after his conviction in a fraud case.
Notably, Bharti had defeated former MP Home Minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra from the seat in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Besides the Datia assembly seat, by-elections will also be held for the Manjalpur Assembly constituency in Gujarat and the Bankipur Assembly constituency in Bihar.
The vacancies arose due to the resignation of BJP President Nitin Nabin from the Bankipur seat and the death of BJP MLA Yogeshbhai Narandas Patel from Manjalpur.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the districts where the whole or part of the assembly constituencies going to the polls are situated, the commission said.
"The Commission has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in the bye-election in all the polling stations. Adequatenumbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the poll is conductedsmoothly with the help of these machines," the ECI said in a release.
According to the election schedule, the last date for filing nominations is July 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on July 14, and candidates can withdraw their nominations till July 16.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good that ECI is using EVMs and VVPATs - transparency is crucial. But I wish they'd also consider more voter awareness campaigns in these constituencies. Many people don't even know about by-elections until the last moment. 😕
The disqualification of Rajendra Bharti for fraud conviction shows that accountability works in our system. Even MLAs are not above the law. But I hope the by-election focuses on real issues like development and employment rather than just political rivalry. 👏
Three by-elections in three different states - Bihar, Gujarat, MP. This will be a mini test for both BJP and Congress before the bigger battles ahead. Bankipur in Bihar is particularly interesting since Nitin Nabin resigned as BJP president. Local issues matter more than national narratives in these elections. 🗳️
Model Code of Conduct is now in force - hope all parties follow it strictly. No money power or muscle power should influence voters. The July 30 polling and August 3 counting timeline is tight but manageable. Let democracy prevail! ✌️
Sad that Yogeshbhai Patel from Manjalpur passed away - that's why we need to remember that these elections are about real people and real losses. His family and constituency deserve respect. I hope the by-election brings some positive change for the people there. 💔
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