Kamaraj Nagar to Jhabua, complete list of by-polls underway

Puducherry: Voting for the byelection to Kamaraj Nagar Assembly Constituency began at 0700 hours on Monday, amid tight security.The polling began on a dull note due to incessant rainfall since this morning.

As many as 35,009 voters will exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fortunes of nine  candidates in fray.Of  the  32 polling stations in 21 different areas of the constituency, seven were identified as vulnerable.

All the polling booths will have all facilities including VVPAT and webcasting. One booth will exclusively managed by women officers.

The Election department has made all arrangements to ensure a fair, free and peaceful voting and 600 Puducherry police personnel and one company of para-military force were deployed for election duty.

Polling begins for Pachhad, Dharmshala Assembly bypoll
 

Shimla:Polling began for Pachhad and Dharmshala Assembly bypoll peaceful at 0700 hrs in Sirmaur and Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, state chief Electoral Officer Divish Kumar said.

He further said that baring minor snags in the EVMs and VVPAT polling started normally in 202 polling station in both Assembly constituency.He stated that 82,137 voters would cast their votes in Dharamshala Assembly Constituency (AC), while 74487 in Pachhad AC. Out of total 202 polling station 113 polling station were set up in Pachhad AC and 89 in Dharamshala.One Auxiliary polling station at Dari old age home will facilitate 24 old age inmates in Dharamshala AC.

Thirteen AC in Pachhad and 10 in Dharamshala AC have been identified as vulnerable polling stations, while four polling stations have been categorised as critical in Dharamshala AC.

In Dharamshala AC 89 polling parties, consisting of 356 personnel and 113 polling parties, consisting of 452 personnel have been deployed for smooth conduct of  bypolls.Polling would come to end at 1700 hrs and counting of votes and results to be declared on Oct 24, he added.

Voting commences in Jhabua by-poll

Jhabua:Exercise of franchise commenced early Monday amid tight security in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua (Scheduled Tribes) Assembly constituency that is witnessing a by-election, official sources said.  

The 2,77,599-strong electorate includes 1,36,266 women; the official voting timings are 0700-1700 hrs and 356 polling centres have been set up for the purpose. Counting is slated for Thursday.
 

The hurly-burly of campaigning died down on Saturday evening. In the past few days, Chief Minister Kamal Nath himself endeavoured to drum up support on several occasions for Congress candidate Kantilal Bhuria an erstwhile central minister who represented Ratlam in the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Lok Sabhas. About a dozen of Mr Nath's Cabinet colleagues also hit the campaign trail. Not to be outdone, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice President and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya; etc did likewise for the saffron camp's youthful nominee Bhanu Bhuria.

As is generally the case in the state's bipolar politics, the BJP and the Congress are locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation though the total number of contestants stands at five. In the electoral speeches, the saffron side targeted the ten-month-old dispensation for "reneging on promises" and its other "failures" even as the Congress extolled the government's achievements while raining fire on "debacles" of the Centre and the state's predecessor BJP regime.

This is the maiden by-election after Assembly polls in 2018 and the general election earlier this year. The voting area borders Gujarat. The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of Mr Guman Singh Damor (BJP) subsequent to his being elected to Parliament from Ratlam.

Polling begins for bypoll to 5 Assembly constituencies in Kerala
 

Thiruvananthapuram:Voting for the byelection to five Assembly constituencies in Kerala began at 0700 hours,  amid tight security.

Heavy rainfall in Thiruvananthapuram and Eranakulam districts raised concern among  the political parties that it may affect the voter turnout.

Electorates started to trickle in most of the polling booths as soon as the voting began  to elect their candidates.Voters queued up well before the start of polling which will take place in 896 booths in five Assembly constituencies.The polling will end at 1800 hrs.

Huzurnagar Assembly bypoll: Voting begins
 

Suryapet: Polling for the byelection to  Huzurnagar assembly constituency in Telangana, began at 0700 hours, amid tight security on Monday.More than  2.30 lakh voters will decide the fate of 28 candidates in the fray.  

The main contest is between the ruling TRS  S Saidi Reddy and Congress Padmavathi Reddy wife of TPCC Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy.

The polling which began without any hindrance at all the 302 polling stations established in the constituency,  will end at 5 pm.Nearly 2000 police personnel were deployed for the smooth conduct of  bypoll.

Ruling TRS has not lost a single bypoll since 2009 in the state. However, it has never won in Huzurnagar where Congress had  won thrice and is hoping to replicate its triumph.

The by-election was necessitated after Mr  Uttam Kumar Reddy vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha from the Nalgonda constituency.The counting of votes will be taken up on October 24.

Polling begins for Assam by-polls

Guwahati: Polling for four Assembly constituencies in Assam began on a brisk note this morning. By-polls  are being held in Ratabari, Jania, Rangapara and Sonari constituencies  following the election of the incumbent MLAs to the Lok Sabha. 

Polling began at 0700 hours in 830 polling stations in the four constituencies. 

No untoward incident has been reported so far. Altogether 6.79 lakh voters will decide the fate of 20 candidates in the by-polls in the state. 

While the ruling BJP holds three of the seats for which by-polls are being conducted, Opposition Congress holds the fourth. (UNI)