ECI changes dates for by-polls

Lucknow : In a significant development ahead of by-polls, the Election Commission of India on Monday rescheduled the polling dates in three states – Kerala, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

The by-elections for nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, four Assembly seats in Punjab and two Assembly seats in Kerala will now be held on November 20, instead of November 13. There is no change in counting day, however, and the results will be declared as earlier scheduled on November 23.

The decision to re-work the dates in these states were taken in wake of upcoming festivals, the poll body said in a statement.

“The decision was made in response to requests from parties including Congress, BJP, BSP, RLD, and other national and state-level parties to prevent any potential dip in voter turnout during the festive season,” said EC.

In Kerala, the two Assembly constituencies going to polls on November 20 are Palakkad and Chelakkara. Palakkad is a hot seat in the state and is expected to see a tight contest between Congress and BJP. In the past two elections, BJP came second and fell barely behind Congress, while consistently increasing its vote share. In Punjab, the Assembly constituencies headed for by-polls include Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha, and Barnala. These four Assembly seats fell vacant after MLAs from these constituencies, three from Congress and one from AAP, got elected to the Lok Sabha, this year.

The Punjab by-polls are seen as a prestige battle for the ruling AAP and a chance for Congress to increase its growing clout and might in the state. For the Akali Dal, the by-elections are an opportunity to regain the foothold it once enjoyed.

In Uttar Pradesh, eight out of nine Assembly seats going for by-polls fell vacant after legislators became Parliamentarians, after 2024 elections. Out of these, SP won four seats—Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, and Kundarki. BJP had bagged four—Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair while Meerapur, was won by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).