EC announces bypolls on 48 assembly, two Lok Sabha seats; BJP, SP-Congress brace up for crucial UP test

New Delhi [India], October 15 (ANI): Election Commission on Tuesday announced bypolls to 48 assembly constituencies including nine seats in Uttar Pradesh and the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala.
The announcement was made by the Chief Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference in which he also announced dates of assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
There are 10 vacant assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh but bypolls were announced for nine seats. Kumar said election was not announced for Milkipur seat in Ayodhya as election petition is pending.
While polling will be held on 47 assembly seats and Wayanad Lok Sabha seat on Nov 13, it will be held on one assembly constituency in Uttarakhand and Nanded constituency in Maharashtra on November 20. Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20. Maharashtra will go to the polls on November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.
The bypolls are spread over 15 states - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The largest number of bypolls will be held in Uttar Pradesh and seats going to the polls are Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Phulpur, Katehari, Majhawan, and Sishamau.
The bypolls in Uttar Pradesh are crucial for BJP as it suffered a setback in Lok Sabha polls. BJP could win only 33 seats compared to 62 it won in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP would be keen to regain its winning momentum in Uttar Pradesh.
Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, won 37 seats in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year. .
Congress, which fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Samajwadi Party as part of INDIA bloc, won six seats in the state.
The bypolls are also crucial the opposition parties. The Samajwadi Party has already declared candidates on six of the ten seats and has said it would contest the bypolls with the Congress.
In Rajasthan, bypolls will be held in Chorasi, Khinwsar, Dausa, Jhunjhunu, Deoli-Uniara, Salumber and Ramgarh. In West Bengal- Taldangra, Sitai, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Madarihat.
In West Bengal the bypolls will be held in Taldangra, Sitai, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Madarihat. (ANI)