GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Tuesday that by-elections will be held on November 13, 2024, for eight Assembly constituencies in the Northeast, including five in Assam.
The Assam constituencies participating in the by-polls are Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri. These seats became vacant after their incumbents—Parimal Suklabaidya (Dholai), Joyanta Basumatary (Sidli), Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Bongaigaon), Ranjit Dutta (Behali), and Rakibul Hussain (Samaguri)—were elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.
According to draft electoral rolls published earlier this year, a total of 908,857 general electors will be eligible to vote across 1,078 polling stations in these five Assam constituencies. This includes 453,981 male voters, 454,857 female voters, and 19 transgender voters.
Additionally, by-elections for three other Northeast seats—Gambegre (ST) in Meghalaya and two seats in Sikkim, Soreng Chakung and Namchi Singhithang—are also scheduled for November 13, 2024.
Vote counting for all eight constituencies will take place on November 23, 2024. The last date for filing nominations is set for October 25, 2024, with nomination scrutiny on October 28 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures on October 30.
Alongside these eight seats, by-elections for 40 other Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha seats will be held in two phases, coinciding with Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the ECI stated. A total of 47 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat will undergo by-elections on November 13, with one Assembly seat and one Parliamentary seat going to the polls on November 20, during Maharashtra elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar assured the media at a New Delhi conference that voting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was “absolutely safe and robust.” The ECI confirmed that EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) would be used in all polling stations for the bye-elections, with ample equipment provided to ensure a smooth electoral process.
“The Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect in the districts where any part of the Assembly constituency is located, as per the instructions in the Commission’s letter dated January 2, 2024,” ECI secretary Sanjeev Kumar Prasad stated.
Both ruling and Opposition parties in Assam have expressed confidence in their preparations for the upcoming by-elections, even though the final list of candidates has not yet been announced. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting three seats—Behali, Dholai, and Samaguri—while its allies, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), are in the fray for Sidli and Bongaigaon, respectively.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously clarified that there were no differences in the agendas of the BJP and its allies, emphasizing their commitment to the welfare and development of the state’s indigenous population.
AGP president and minister Atul Bora expressed confidence on behalf of the NDA regarding the by-polls, stating, “The NDA has been unstoppable in the elections over the years. The AGP, along with our alliance partners, are fully prepared for the by-polls as well.”
Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah reported that three out of five committees formed to decide on candidatures have submitted their reports, with the remaining two expected to do so soon. Opposition party AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal indicated that the party would contest three seats, although he did not disclose which ones.
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