- Counting of votes for bypolls in seven assembly seats across five states is scheduled today
- Bypolls were held due to the deaths of sitting MLAs, including Ajit Pawar
- Maharashtra's deputy CM Sunetra Pawar is contesting from Maharashtra's Baramati
Counting of votes for the bypolls in seven assembly seats spread across five states will take place today. The bypolls were necessitated by the deaths of their sitting MLAs, including former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in January.
Votes in these seats were cast on April 9 and April 23. The constituencies that went to bypolls are: Umreth in Gujarat, Bagalkot and Davanagere South in Karnataka, Rahuri and Baramati in Maharashtra, Koridang in Nagaland, and Dharmanagar in Tripura.
Maharashtra Bypolls
The Baramati assembly seat in Maharashtra's Pune district is the stronghold of the politically influential Pawar family. Ajit Pawar, the sitting MLA, died in a plane crash on January 28, leaving the seat vacant. His wife, NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is contesting from the seat.
Sunetra Pawar is the only candidate from a major political party contesting the Baramati Assembly bypoll. 22 independent candidates are also contesting for the seat, including Karuna Munde, the estranged wife of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde.
Maharashtra's Rahuri assembly seat has been vacant since BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile's death in October last year. His son, Akshay Kardile, is the BJP's candidate and is pitted against NCP (SP) candidate Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Santosh Chalke.
Also read: MK Stalin's DMK To Retain Tamil Nadu, Vijay Will Be A Factor: Exit Polls
Karnataka Bypolls
The bypolls in Karnataka were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South). The poll contest is being seen as a fight for prestige between the ruling Congress and the BJP.
The BJP has fielded a former MLA, Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South. From the Congress, Umesh Meti is contesting from Bagalkot and Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South.
Umreth Assembly Bypoll
The Umreth assembly bypoll in Gujarat's Anand district was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Govind Parmar. Five candidates are contesting the bypoll. However, the main contest is between BJP's Harshad Parmar, who is the son of the late MLA, and Congress's Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan.
Election results: Security personnel outside a counting centre.
Koridang Assembly Bypoll
The Koridang Assembly bypoll in Nagaland's Mokokchung district was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L Imchen. Six candidates are in the fray for the seat, including BJP nominee Daochier I Imchen, who is also the consensus candidate of the Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA) government led by Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao, NPP's I Abenjang, and Independents Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.
Also read: 4 Exit Polls Give BJP Edge In West Bengal, 2 To Trinamool Congress
Dharmanagar Assembly Bypoll
The Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll in Tripura was necessitated by the death of Assembly Speaker and MLA Biswa Bandhu Sen of the BJP last December. The seat shares borders with Assam and Mizoram, and has remained a stronghold of either the Congress or the BJP since 2008.
It is a triangular fight between Jahar Chakraborti of the ruling BJP, Chayan Bhattacharjee of the Congress, and Amitabha Datta representing the CPI(M)-led Left Front.
The bypoll in Goa's Ponda, which was scheduled on April 9, was cancelled by the Bombay High Court hours before polling.
