New Delhi, October 06:The voting for assembly bypolls in eight constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha and Mizoram will be held on November 11, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday. The counting of votes will be done on November 14. “The assembly bypolls in J-K, Odisha, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Punjab, Telangana and Rajasthan will be held on November 11; the counting of votes will be done on November 14,” Kumar said at a press conference. Notably, the bypolls on these seats will be held along with the Bihar Assembly elections.
Bypolls on two seats in J-K
Two assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir — Budgam and Nagrota — have been vacant since October 2024. The bypoll is necessitated in Budgam due to the resignation of Omar Abdullah, as he decided to retain the Ganderbal constituency. In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, Omar defeated Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi in Budgam by 18,485 votes. Nagrota will witness a bypoll after its sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devender Singh Rana died in October last year. Rana defeated Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) candidate Joginder Singh by 30,472 votes in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Earlier, Rana won the seat in the 2014 polls as a nominee of the JKN.
Bypoll on Rajasthan’s Anta seat
A bypoll for Rajasthan’s Anta Assembly constituency will also take place on November 11. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kanwar Lal Meena was disqualified, as he was convicted in a 2005 criminal case involving threatening government officials, obstructing public duty, and damaging property. In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly Election, Kanwar Lal Meena defeated Congress leader Pramod Jain Bhaya by 5,861 votes.
Bypoll on Jharkhand’s Ghatsila seat
A bypoll for Jharkhand’s Ghatsila Assembly constituency is taking place on November 11 due to the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Ramdas Soren. He was the Cabinet Minister of School Education and Literacy in the Hemant Soren government. In the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly Election, Soren defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Babu Lal Soren by 22,446 votes. Ghatsila is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and was represented by Ramdas Soren in 2009 and 2019 also.
Bypoll on Telangana’s Jubilee Hills seat
A bypoll for Telangana’s Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency will also take place on November 11 due to the death of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Maganti Gopinath. In the 2023 Telangana Assembly Election, Gopinath defeated Congress candidate Mohammed Azharuddin by 16,337 votes. Gopinath represented the constituency in 2014 and 2018 as well.
Bypoll on Punjab’s Tarn Taran seat
Punjab will see a bypoll in the Tarn Taran Assembly constituency along with seven other constituencies of other states. The bypoll is necessitated in Tarn Taran due to the death of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June this year. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly Election, Sohal defeated Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu by 13,588 votes.
Bypoll on Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly seat
A by-election for Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly seat will be held on November 11 following the death of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Rajendra Dholakia in September. In the 2024 Odisha Assembly Election, Dholakia defeated independent candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi by 10,881 votes. Dholakia won the seat in 2004, 2009 and 2019.
Bypoll on Mizoram’s Dampa seat
A bypoll for Mizoram’s Dampa Assembly constituency is also taking place on November 11 due to the death of Mizo National Front’s (MNF) Lalrintluanga Sailo in July this year. In the 2023 Mizoram Assembly Election, Sailo defeated Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) candidate Vanlalsailova by just 292 votes. Dampa is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and was represented by Sailo in 2018 also.
