Voting begins for by-elections to 8 Assembly seats across 6 states, one Union Territory

NEW DELHI: Voting for by-elections to eight Assembly constituencies across six States and one Union Territory began on Tuesday morning, as voters turned out to elect new representatives in Budgam and Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, Anta in Rajasthan, Ghatsila in Jharkhand, Jubilee Hills in Telangana, Tarn Taran in Punjab, Dampa in Mizoram and Nuapada in Odisha.

The counting of votes is set to take place on November 14, along with the Bihar Assembly Elections.

BRS candidate for Jubilee Hills by-elections, Maganti Sunitha, cast her vote along with family members at a polling station at Sri Krishnadevaraya Nagar Welfare Centre, Yellareddyguda, in the Jubilee Hills constituency.

In Jammu and Kashmir, in Budgam, polling for the bye-elections was held following Omar Abdullah’s resignation from the constituency. Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency and vacate Budgam after winning both the seats in the 2024 assembly elections.

The number of polling stations in the Budgam Assembly Constituency is 173, and 150 in the Nagrota Assembly Constituency.

The National Conference has fielded Aga Mehmood, PDP Aga Syed Muntazir and BJP Syed Mohsin in the constituency.

A total of 20 candidates are contesting the byelections in Budgam.

In the Nagrota seat in the Jammu region, National Conference’s Shamim Begum, a sitting District Development Council (DDC) member, is in the fray against BJP’s Devyani Rana and J&K National Panthers Party president Harsh Dev Singh.

The BJP has won the Nagrota Assembly seat three times: 2002, 2008, and 2024. The National Conference secured victories twice, in 1996 and 2014.
Harsh Dev Singh is a three-time MLA from Ramnagar and won the seat in 1996, 2002, and 2008 and lost out in 2014 from the same segment and in 2024 from Chenani. The Congress candidate has withdrawn their nomination in favour of Begum.

A total of 13 candidates are contesting the bypolls for the seat that fell vacant after the demise of BJP legislator Devender Singh Rana last year. Rana passed away within a fortnight of taking the oath.

The bypoll to the Anta assembly constituency in the Baran district of Rajasthan was necessitated after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kanwar Lal Meena was disqualified after being convicted in a 2005 case.

He was accused of threatening a government official and was convicted in May this year. The Congress has fielded Pramod Jain Bhaya, a two-time MLA and former Minister for the Anta bypoll, while the BJP has announced the name of Morpal Suman.

Independent candidate Naresh Meena also made headlines last year in November after he was arrested for slapping Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Amit Chaudhary in the then poll-bound Deoli Uniara assembly constituency. Meena was contesting from the same constituency independently after being denied a ticket by Congress.

A total of 13 candidates will contest for the Ghatshila Assembly constituency in Jharkhand after one candidate withdrew from the nomination.
Jharkhand Minister Ramdas Soren passed away in August after being treated in Delhi for injuries from a fall. The bypoll was necessitated after the demise of Ramdas Soren, who was the JMM MLA.

In the 2024 assembly polls, Ramdas Soren had defeated Babulal Soren, who is the son of BJP MLA and former Chief Minister Champai Soren.

This time as well, NDA has nominated Babulal Soren, while Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) has nominated Ramdas Murmu.
Somesh Soren, son of the late Ramdas Soren, is contesting as a JMM candidate.

It is likely to be a three-way contest in the Ghatsila assembly by-election.

The death of the sitting MLA and BRS leader, Maganti Gopinath, prompted the Jubilee Hills by-election in Telangana.

The Congress party has nominated V Naveen Yadav, a leader from the Backward Class (BC), as its candidate.

Gopinath’s widow, Sunitha, has been chosen by the BRS to run for the position. The BJP has selected Lankala Deepak Reddy as its candidate.

The Assembly constituency has a high concentration of Muslim voters, and the decision of the Congress government has been seen as a move to increase the prospects of the party among the Muslim voters. The Congress has no Muslim MLA in the current State Assembly, and there is no Muslim Cabinet Minister in the Cabinet.

In Tarn Taran in Punjab, the seat fell vacant after the death of the sitting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Kashmir Singh Sohal, in June this year.
The AAP has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu, who is a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) turncoat and a three-time MLA.

The SAD has nominated Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa.

BJP has fielded its Tarn Taran district unit president, Harjit Singh Sandhu. Sandhu was with SAD before joining the BJP in 2022.

For Congress, its Tarn Taran district unit committee chief Karanbir Singh Burj will be contesting the by-election.

According to the Election Commission, in the Dampa constituency in Mizoram, there are 20,888 registered voters and 115 service voters, making a total of 21,003 voters eligible to vote.

The Congress has decided to go with John Rotluangliana, who is the State Vice-President and former Minister. The BJP has nominated Lalhmingthanga.

The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has fielded Vanlalsailova.

The MNF has nominated its Vice-President and former Minister, R. Lalthangliana, to contest the by-election.

For the Dampa bye-election, there will be 40 polling stations, including 3 critical stations and five pink polling stations (managed by women staff).
According to the EC, 57 voters are eligible for home voting (for elderly or infirm voters). 5 PwD (Persons with Disabilities) voters are also registered for assistance. Ten polling officials will cast their votes through postal ballots.

The bypoll in Nuapada in Odisha was necessitated following the vacancy in the Assembly seat after the passing away of BJD’s Rajendra Dholakia.
Snehangini Chhuria, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate for the Nuapada Assembly by-election, exuded confidence that people will bestow their trust on her in the bypoll.

She will be up against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jay Dholakia and Congress’ Ghasiram Majhi. (ANI)