EC announces bypolls for Davangere South, Bagalkote on Apr 9
Bengaluru (PTI): The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the by-elections for the vacant Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies in Karnataka will be held on April 9.
According to the official schedule, the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar released the poll schedule in New Delhi.
The bypolls were necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, which resulted in vacancies in the Davanagere South and Bagalkote Assembly segments respectively.
Shivashankarappa, a senior Congress leader and former minister, represented the Davanagere South constituency, while Meti, also a former minister, had been elected from Bagalkote. Both leaders had won their seats in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.
With the seats falling vacant after their demise, the poll panel decided to hold by-elections in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
The bypolls are likely to witness a keen contest, with the ruling Congress aiming to retain both constituencies while opposition parties prepare to mount a strong challenge.
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Congress welcomes two-phase Bengal polls, flags voter intimidation
Kolkata (PTI): Senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya on Sunday welcomed EC's decision to hold a two-phase election in West Bengal, but expressed concern over whether voters would be able to exercise their franchise freely and without intimidation.
The former West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief also said he had raised the issue of voter intimidation during his interaction with the full bench of the Election Commission (EC) during its recent visit to the state.
"I welcome the Election Commission's move to hold the polls in West Bengal in two phases. But my only concern is that the electors can cast their votes freely and without any fear," Bhattacharya told PTI.
He alleged that in past elections, voters could not cast their ballots despite polls being conducted in multiple phases.
"I have seen many elections when voters could not cast their votes even when there were six or seven phases of elections," he added.
The poll body on Sunday announced that assembly elections to the 294 seats in Bengal will be held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29, with the counting scheduled on May 4.
