Polling begins for bypolls in Gujarat, Maharashtra; voting underway in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
Polling for the Umreth Assembly by-election in Gujarat and the Baramati and Rahuri Assembly by-elections in Maharashtra began on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.
The by-elections were necessitated following the deaths of sitting legislators.
In Maharashtra, the polls are being held after the demise of MLA Shivaji Bhanudas Kardile from the Rahuri constituency and MLA Ajit Anantrao Pawar from Baramati. In Gujarat, the Umreth bypoll follows the death of MLA Govind Parmar. The elections aim to fill these vacant seats.
The Baramati bypoll was triggered after former NCP chief Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash earlier this year while travelling to his constituency. Following his death, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and later named chief of the NCP.
According to the Election Commission, counting of votes will take place on May 4, and the results will be declared the same day. The entire election process is scheduled to conclude by May 6.
Meanwhile, polling for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and the first phase of elections in West Bengal also commenced on Thursday under tight security. Voting in both states will continue until 6:00 pm.
Mock polls were conducted at polling stations across Tamil Nadu and West Bengal ahead of the voting process.
Tamil Nadu is witnessing a single-phase election for all 234 Assembly constituencies. In contrast, West Bengal will go to polls in two phases, with the second phase scheduled for April 29.
In West Bengal, elections are being held for 294 Assembly seats. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covers 152 constituencies, while the remaining 142 will vote in the second phase. A total of 1,478 candidates are in the fray in this phase.
— ANI
