The results for bypolls to seven assembly constituencies in six states will be declared today in what is being seen as a major test for the opposition alliance INDIA against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the polls in five states later this year and Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 8 am at centres set up in the respective states.
The seven seats — Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura — went to poll on September 5.
The by-election saw the INDIA alliance putting up a united front in the Ghosi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, where the voting was moderate at around 50.77 per cent, and in Jharkhand’s Dumri where a total of 64.84 per cent of 2.98 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
Out of the seven seats, three – Dhanpur, Bageshwar and Dhupguri – were held by the BJP and one each by the SP (Ghosi), CPI(M) (Boxanagar), JMM (Dumri) and the Congress (Puthuppally).
In Uttar Pradesh, the Ghosi seat fell vacant after the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined the BJP.
For the Bageshwar assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand, the counting will be done at 14 tables with 130 polling personnel on the job.
In Jharkhand, INDIA bloc and NDA candidates are keeping their fingers crossed ahead of the counting to Dumri assembly bypolls. The counting centre has been set up at Krishi Bazar Samiti, Pachambha, in Giridih district, an election official said, as reported by PTI.
In Tripura, the ECI has taken necessary steps to conduct the counting in a transparent way, a senior poll official said on Thursday.
Counting of votes to both the seats – Boxanagar and Dhanpur — will take place at Sonamura Girls’ HS School, as per PTI.
In West Bengal’s Dhupguri, personnel of the central armed police forces and state police are guarding the strong room on the second campus of North Bengal University in Jalpaiguri, an official said, as reported by PTI.
Kerala is also anxiously waiting for the result of the Puthuppally bypoll which saw an intense battle between the UDF and LDF to fill the seat left vacant by the demise of Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy.