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Election Commission Unveils By-Election Schedule

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revealed the timetable for by-elections across five Assembly constituencies located in Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal.

Voting is scheduled for June 19, with the counting of votes set for June 23.

Among the five constituencies, two are situated in Gujarat: Kadi, which is a reserved seat, and Visavadar.

In Kerala, the by-election will take place for the Nilambur seat.

Punjab will conduct bypolls in Ludhiana West, while Kaliganj in West Bengal is also set for a by-election.

The ECI made this announcement via a post on X, its official handle, on Sunday.

The Gazette Notification will be issued on May 26.

Candidates must submit their nominations by June 2, with scrutiny scheduled for June 3.

The deadline for withdrawing candidatures is June 5.

The ECI has confirmed that all election activities must conclude by June 25.

In Gujarat, the Visavadar seat became vacant following the resignation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Bhupatbhai Bhayani, who subsequently joined the BJP. The Kadi seat, reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, is open due to the passing of BJP MLA Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki.

The Nilambur Assembly seat in Kerala requires a bypoll due to the resignation of Independent MLA P.V. Anvar.

In Punjab, the Ludhiana West constituency is vacant after the death of Congress MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi.

West Bengal's Kaliganj seat is up for election following the passing of veteran Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, who died of cardiac arrest in February.

With the election schedule now public, the Model Code of Conduct is effective immediately in the relevant districts, as stated by the ECI.

Candidates with criminal records must disclose this information through newspapers and television on three separate occasions during their campaign. Political parties presenting candidates with such backgrounds are also required to publish this information on their websites and in media outlets.

The ECI has outlined a timeline for this disclosure, allowing voters ample time to understand the candidates' backgrounds: within the first four days post-withdrawal, between the 5th and 8th days, and from the 9th day until the last day of campaigning (the day before polling).

Furthermore, political parties must share details and reasons for selecting candidates with criminal histories within 48 hours of their selection on their official social media and websites. This information will also be accessible via an app called 'know your candidates'.

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