campaigning-ends-for-j-khand-phase-1-by-polls-in-12-states

High-voltage election campaigning for upcoming polls on November 13 concluded on Monday across 12 states, 34 assembly constituencies and two parliamentary seats (Wayanad in Kerala and Nanded in Maharashtra). 

 

Initially, the announcement by the Election Commission of India was made for the by-polls in 48 assembly constituencies and 15 states.

 

Later, three state by-polls for 14 assembly constituencies were postponed due to the request from all parties to ECI. 

 

Hence Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala assembly by-polls were postponed and rescheduled for November 20. They will now be held with assembly elections in Maharashtra and Phase 2 of Jharkhand.

 

Campaigning for the crucial bypolls in Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency concluded too.

 

The Wayanad Lok Sabha seat has been a stronghold of the Congress-led UDF.

 

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the UDF candidate, who has been leading the last leg of the campaigning by camping in the constituency, is present in Wayanad on the last day of public campaigning.

 

As far as Jharkhand is concerned 43 seats are going to the polls.

 

Six Cabinet Ministers of the present government, including former Chief Minister Champai Soren, Dr Rameshwar Oraon, Ramdas Soren, Banna Gupta, Mithilesh Thakur, Deepak Birua and Baidyanath Ram are contesting the polls.

 

In Rajasthan, campaigning for all seven seats ends this evening; 8,928 staff to oversee voting at 1,915 centres.

 

The intense campaign for the bypolls across six assembly constituencies in West Bengal concluded too, marked by allegations, show-cause notices and controversies.

 

By-elections will be held in Sitai, Madarihat, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Taldangra constituencies.

 

The bypolls will be a test for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) amid ongoing protests over the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

 

The campaigning for bypolls in five assembly constituencies of Assam ended with Samaguri and Behali stealing all the limelight.

 

The by-polls will be held in Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri assembly constituencies as these seats fell vacant with the representatives of these seats winning the recent Lok Sabha elections.

 

The ECI data shows, a total of 34 candidates are in the fray with most of them being the first timers.

 

Campaigning for the by-elections for four assembly constituencies in Bihar has grabbed eyeballs.

 

The assembly seats where campaigning ended are Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj and Imamganj (reserved).

 

National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Grand Alliance  GA), and Jan Suraj of Prashant Kishor were prominently contesting the by-elections being considered as the semifinal for the general assembly elections due next year in Bihar.

 

Campaigning has also wrapped up in Karnataka for the by-elections in Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon, where political debates have been dominated by discussions on waqf property management following the release of findings from the John Michael D’Cunha commission. 

 

Congress leaders, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar have accused the opposition of corrupt practices, while the Bharatiya Janata Party counters with allegations involving mismanagement of excise funds. 

 

Interestingly, Sikkim by-polls were also to be held on November 13, but the opposition took the decision not to contest by-polls, hence the ruling party has already won unopposed. No by-polls will be held now in Sikkim.

 

The campaigning for the by-poll to the Vav assembly seat in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district ended with senior leaders from the Congress and BJP making final efforts to woo voters.

 

Congress candidate and former MLA Gulabsinh Rajput and BJP’s Swaroopji Thakor are the main contestants but the presence of BJP rebel Mavji Patel has made the bypoll, where voting will take place.

 

The campaigning for the bypoll to the Raipur City South assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh ended on Monday evening with leaders from both ruling BJP and the opposition Congress making a final bid to woo voters. 

 

Also in Madhya Pradesh, two assembly constituencies are to go for polls. One assembly constituency is of Budhani where Shivraj Singh Chauhan the veteran BJP leader was chosen from Lok Sabha and had to resign and vacate the seat. 

 

Another is Vijaypur where Congress Leader Ramnivas Rawat decided to end his journey in Congress, resigned and joined BJP vacating the assembly seat.

 

The campaigning for the lone assembly constituency by polls in Meghalaya saw high-stake campaigning. The upcoming Gambegre by-election in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills is set to witness a high-profile contest with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) fielding chief minister Conrad Sangma’s wife Mehtab Chandee Sangma and Trinamool Congress (TMC) pitting Sadhiarani M. Sangma, the sole female member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and the wife of former MLA Zenith Sangma, opposed her.

 

Voting preparations have been completed in Kedarnath, the only assembly constituency for Uttarakhand to go for bye-elections, security plan is also made and arrangements are done; 162 polling centers and 173 polling stations are set up by ECI for smooth voting. 

 

Additional Director General of Police and State Police Nodal Officer, Elections AP Anshuman held a video conference with the District Incharge Rudraprayag to ensure smooth conduct of the elections.

 

The Chelekkara assembly seat in Thrissur, Kerala which is also going for bypolls has witnessed a culmination of intense campaigning. The ruling party CPI(M) led LDF is trying to retain power as it has not lost it since 1996. 

 

They are this time challenged by Congress led UDF efforts who wrest the seat by cashing in on anti-incumbency  against CM Vijayan government.