By-Elections 2018: Voting was held in 4 parliamentary, 10 assembly constituencies across India
Voting was held for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats, including the
politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and 10 assembly constituencies spread across 10 states. Besides Kairana in western UP, by-elections were held in Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, and Nagaland Lok Sabha seat. The Kairana bypoll saw a joint opposition taking on the ruling BJP. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate for the by-election. She contested against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The joint opposition, which includes Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, hopes that by consolidating anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections, where the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat.
In Mahrashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Congress -- have campaigned aggressively for the Lok Sabha by-elections. The outcome is significant as it is likely to have a bearing on their future course. The Shiv Sena fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the BJP which has in-turn nominated Rajendra Gavit, who switched over from the Congress. In Bhandra-Gondia, Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress earlier this year, necessitating the by-election. The ruling BJP has locked horns with the NCP for retaining the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat while in Palghar, it is in a direct fight with the ally Shiv Sena even though the contest is multi-cornered.
The assembly by-elections took place in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon constituency, Uttar Prades's Noorpur, Bihar's Jokihat, Jharkhand's Gomia and Silli, Kerala's Chengannur, Meghalaya's Ampati, Punjab's Shahkot, Uttarakhand's Tharali and West Bengal's Maheshtala. General election to Karnataka's Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat also took place on Monday.
The counting of votes for both Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections will take place on May 31.
Here are the highlights of the Lok Sabha and assembly by-elections across 10 states:
The EC will consider re-polling in areas where polling was held up for over two hours due to VVPAT malfunction in Uttar Pradesh.
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Electronic Voting Machines in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra hit by heat wave, says Election Commission
West Bengal Assembly By-Election: 33 Per Cent Voter Turnout Registered In Maheshtala In First 4 Hours
Around 33 per cent voting was recorded in the West Bengal's Maheshtala Assembly by-election till 11 am. The polling process that began on a peaceful note at 7 am will continue till 6 pm, an Election Commission official said.
The West Bengal assembly by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Kasturi Das.
Bengal's Maheshtala assembly constituency is witnessing a three-front contest between the Trinamool Congress, BJP and Left Front.
The TMC has fielded Dulal Das, the husband of the deceased MLA, while the BJP, which is trying to emerge as the main challenger to the Trinamool Congress, has nominated Sujit Ghosh, a former joint director of the CBI.
The Left, on the other hand, has fielded Prabhat Chowdhury, a relatively greenhorn in the fray. The Congress is backing Mr Chowdhury.
2,48,855 voters are expected to cast their vote in 283 booths, he added.
(Inputs from PTI)
How Things Stand In Uttar Pradesh's Kairana And Noorpur By-Elections
Over 21 per cent polling was recorded till 11 am in Kairana parliamentary constituency while 22 per cent votes were polled in Noorpur Assembly constituency where by-elections are being held today. The opposition has complained of EVMs malfunctioning in several places.
According to the Election Commission, till 11 am, Kairana recorded 21.34 per cent voter turnout, while the voting percentage in Noorpur Assembly constituency was 22 per cent.
The Kairana bypoll is signifcant as it would test the popularity of the ruling BJP in the state. The by-election was necessitated following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February. His daughter Mriganka Singh is the BJP candidate, pitted against Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan (BSP MP from Kairana in 2009) who is also supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and also claims the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Kairana parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district, and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district.
The by-election to Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated by the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident in February. In Noorpur, the BJP announced the name of Avani Singh, wife of late MLA Lokendra Chauhan, as its candidate. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Naeemul Hasan as its candidate.
According to the Election Commission, there are 16.09 lakh voters in Kairana. This includes 8.73 lakh male voters and 7.36 lakh female voters. Noorpur Assembly constituency has 3.06 lakh voters.
In Kairana, there are 12 candidates in contesting, while from Noorpur there are 10 candidates competing. There are 2,056 polling booths. Opposition Samajwadi Party and RLD have complained of snags in EVM machines. "Getting reports of problems in EVMs in the by election but still voters should go for casting votes), Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet.
(Inputs from PTI)
Jharkhand By-Elections: How Things Stand In Silli And Gomia Assembly Constituencies
Polling is under way in Jharkhand's Silli and Gomia assembly constituencies today. The first two hours of the Jharkhand by-elections saw little over 18 per cent voter turnout in Silli and over 14 per cent in Gomia bypolls.
The bypolls to Silli Assembly seat in Ranchi district and Gomia Assembly seat in Bokaro district were being held amidst tight security arrangements and no incidents of violence have been reported so far.
The by-elections to Gomia and Silli Assembly seats were necessitated following the conviction of Yogendra Mahto (Gomia) and Amit Mahto (Silli). Both were elected on Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM tickets in the 2014 Assembly election.
In the Gomia Assembly seat, though there are 13 candidates, the main contest is between BJP's Madhavlal Singh, All Jharkhand Students Union's (AJSU's) Lambodar Mahto and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Babita Devi, wife of disqualified MLA Yogendra Mahto.
In Silli, of the ten candidates contesting, the main contest will be between the former deputy chief minister and AJSU president Sudesh Mahto and Seema Mahto, wife of disqualified MLA Amit Mahto.
(Inputs from PTI)
Kairana, Noorpur By-Election: Opposition Raises EVM Tampering Claims In Kairana, NoorpurThe opposition has raised concerns about the reported malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs in some of the booths.
Tweeting about the reported malfunctioning of EVMs, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav wrote, "Upchunav mein jagah jagah se EVM kharab hone ki khabrein aa rahi hain, lekin phir bhi apne matadhikar ke liye zaroor jayen aur apna kartavya nibhayan." It loosely translates to "Hearing reports of problems in EVMs in the by-election, but voters should still go out and vote".
Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary claimed that 140 EVMs were tampered with in Noorpur and that similar reports have come in from Kairana. "BJP wants to avenge their defeat in the earlier bypolls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur anyhow and win the ongoing polls," he alleged.
Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesman Anil Dubey echoed the Samajwadi Party's claims. He said there were reports of EVM malfunctioning in both the constituencies, especially areas dominated by the RLD-Samajwadi Party combine.
"We (RLD and Samajwadi Party) are going to meet the chief electoral officer to lodge a formal complaint in this regard," Mr Dubey added.
(Inputs from PTI)
Nagaland By-Election Update: 44 Per Cent Voter Turnout In First Four Hours
Nagaland has seen a high voter turnout in the first four hours of polling for the Lok Sabha by-election. 44 per cent voters have cast their vote in the first four hours of polling for Nagaland's only Lok Sabha seat today.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio cast his vote at a polling booth at Touphema Basa village, around 25 km from the state capital Kohima, at around 10 am.
The ruling People's Democratic Alliance or PDA, which has the NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party) and the BJP as it major constituents, has fielded former minister Tokheho Yepthomi from the seat. Mr Yepthomi is contesting against Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee C Apok Jamir. The Congress has also extended its support to Mr Jamir.
11,97,436 people are eligible to cast their vote at 2196 polling stations across the state, Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said.
Voting began at 7 am and will go on till 4 pm in 1887 polling stations, while it will end an hour ahead in 309 booths, the CEO said. "In 309 booths, set up in faraway places with barely any transportation facilities, the polling will end at 3 PM for the convenience of the election officials," he said.
40 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with 80 companies of Nagaland Armed Police, 770 Home Guards and 2600 village guards have been deployed across the state to ensure free and fair elections, Mr Sinha added.
The Nagaland bypoll was necessitated after Neiphiu Rio, who is also the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader, resigned as a Lok Sabha member in February, days before the assembly elections, after which he became Chief Minister.
(Inputs from PTI)
By-Election Update From Bihar's Jokihat Assembly Seat
Around 18 per cent voter turnout was registered till 10 am for the by-election to the Jokihat assembly seat in Bihar today, a top election official said. Tight security arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections for the assembly seat which fell vacant after the resignation of sitting MLA Sarfaraz Alam.
The Jokihat by-election is being viewed as a test of strength between Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and RJD's of Lalu Prasad. 2.70 lakh voters are eligible to cast their vote to decide the fate of nine candidates contesting from this seat in Bihar's Araria district.
Having won the seat in 2015 on a JD(U) ticket, Sarfaraz Alam switched over to the RJD in March this year and got elected to the Lok Sabha from Araria in a bypoll which was necessitated by the death of his father Mohammad Taslimuddin.
Mr Taslimuddin had himself represented Jokihat in the Bihar assembly for a record five times. His younger son Shahnawaz Alam has been fielded by the RJD while the JD(U) candidate is Murshid Alam, a former Panchayat Mukhiya.
Although the contest is primarily between these two candidates, six Independents, besides Ghousul Azam - who represents controversial Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav's fledgling outfit Jan Adhikar Party - are also contesting.
(Inputs from PTI)
Understanding the Nagaland By-ElectionBy-election was necessitated in Nagaland after sitting MP Neiphiu Rio became the state's chief minister with the support of the BJP.
BJP is a part of Neiphiu Rio's People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) which has fielded Tokheho Yepthomi as its candidate. On the other hand, the Naga People's Front has fielded C Apok Jamir, who is supported by the Congress.
PDA-BJP may have an upper hand as there is no anti-incumbency against either party or even the chief minister. The trend in the northeast too has generally been to vote for the party in power in the centre.
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21.34 per cent voting recorded till 11 am in UP's Kairana Lok Sabha by-election
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Karnataka Assembly (General) Election: 21 per cent voting recorded till 11 am in Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency.
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31 per cent voting recorded till 11 am in Punjab's Shahkot assembly by-election.
All You Need To Know About Punjab's Shahkot Assembly By-Election
Shahkot By-Election: Polling is under way in Punjab's Shahkot assembly constituency. The Congress is hoping to maintain its winning momentum while the Akali Dal is trying to retain the seat. The Shahkot bypoll was necessitated following the death of Akali Dal MLA Ajit Singh Kohar in February this year.
The ruling Congress has fielded Hardev Singh Laddi while Akali Dal has given a ticket to Ajit Singh Kohar's son Naib Singh Kohar. The Aam Aadmi Party has nominated Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan for the Shahkot bypoll.
As many as 1,72,676 voters will decide the fate of 12 candidates who are contesting. Voters including women could be seen standing in queues at various polling booths in the morning for voting.
The Election Commission has deployed a total of 1,022 security forces personnel, including six companies of the Border Security Force, in Shahkot, official said.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm today. A holiday had already been declared for the electors of Shahkot Assembly constituency which falls in Jalandhar district.
There are total 236 polling stations in the constituency, out of which, webcasting will be held at 103 stations. Electronic Voting Machines and Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) are being used at all the polling stations while 15 per cent additional EVMs and VVPAT have been kept as reserve if some malfunctioning is developed during polling.
UP Bypolls: Samajwadi Party's Rajendra Chaudhary Claims "Faulty EVMs" In UP's Noorpur And Kairana
News agency ANI has reported that Samajwadi Party leader Rajendra Chaudhary has claimed that there are nearly 140 "faulty EVMs" in Uttar Pradesh's Noorpur. Mr Chaudhary then goes on to accuse the BJP of "wanting to defeat Samajwadi Party at any cost".
Palghar By-Election: Why Voters In Maharashtra's Palghar Are Holding Up The Worng Finger
Kairana By-Election: RLD Candidate Begum Tabassum Hasan Casts Her Vote. Then An Allegation
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RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan has filed an official complaint on VVPAT Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs. According to news agency ANI, Ms Hasan has claimed that 59 VVPAT voting machines are not working properly.
All You Need To Know About Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha By-Election
Voting is under way in Maharashtra's Palghar parliamentary constituency. The by-election in Palghar is being held due to the death of BJP MP Chintaman Wanga's death on January 30, 2018.
Palghar, which falls in the north Konkan region of Maharashtra, is reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates only.
Just before the nominations were filed, the seat saw crossing over of leaders from one party to the other. Chintaman Wanga's son Shriniwas Wanga crossed over from BJP to Shiv Sena, while Rajendra Gavit of the Congress joined to the BJP.
In the run up to the election, the BJP and Shiv Sena accused each other of "betrayal".
The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) led by Vasai-Virar candidate Hitendra Thakur is also contesting with the nomination of its ex-MP Baliram Jadhav.
Kiran Raja Gahla of the CPI-M, which has a base in Talasari and Dahanu, and former MP Damu Shingada (Congress) are also contesting in a multi-cornered fight from the seat reserved for scheduled tribes (ST).
An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana had claimed its nominee will win the Palghar seat, despite the BJP roping in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the poll campaign.
The constituency includes extended suburbs of Mumbai such as Vasai, Virar, Nalasopara, and Palghar in the newly-created Palghar district.
In Palghar, out of the 2,097 polling booths, 14 are listed as critical.
Noorpur Assembly By-Election Update: 6 er cent voter turnout recorded in UP's Noorpur till 9 am (the first two hours of polling)
Kairana Lok Sabha By-Election Update: 10.2 per cent voter turnout recorded in UP's Kairana till 9 am (the first two hours of voting)
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Punjab: In the Shahkot assembly by-election, one control unit at booth number 216 and three VVPAT Electronic Voting Machines at booth numbers 169, 170 and 222 has been replaced during a mock poll due to a technical snag in the EVMs. Four VVPATs at booth numbers 27, 28, 132 and 45 have also been replaced after they malfunctioned during actual polling in Punjab
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11 faulty Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs reported across polling booths in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituencies. Election Commission officials are making the necessary arrangements: news agency ANI
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Uttarakhand: Voting in Tharali assembly constituency has been halted after an Electronic Voting Machine or EVM has malfunctioned. Polling agents of all political parties have asked Election Commission officials to provide a new EVM.
The Battle For UP's Kairana Lok Sabha Constituency - A Brief History
Hukum Singh's daughter Mriganka Singh is taking on Tabassum Hasan who has been propped as the candidate to oppose the BJP. Tabassum Hasan was earlier with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, then moved to the Samajwadi Party before joining Ajit Singh's RLD. Her late husband Munnawar Hasan has represented the seat earlier.
The Kairana bypoll has become a direct contest between Mriganka Singh and Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan. The opposition's campaign received a boost after an independent candidate dropped out of the race on May 24.
Independent candidate Kanwar Hasan dropped out of the race and announced that he was backing 48-year-old Tabassum Hasan of the RLD, who is also backed by a united opposition including Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, Mayawati's BSP, Congress and Nishad Party.
The opposition is eyeing the chunk of Jat voters, who have traditionally voted for Ajit Singh's RLD but had drifted to the BJP in 2014. RLD candidate Tabassum Hassan had earlier won from Kairana in 2009 on a BSP ticket by defeating Hukum Singh. This time, she takes on his daughter. For RLD president Ajit Singh and his son and vice-president of the party, Jayant Chowdhury, the Kairana by-election presents the opportunity to reclaim their core supporters of Jats, the dominant agrarian caste of Western UP, which shifted loyalties to the BJP in the general election after tensions between Hindus and Muslims in areas like Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts in 2013.
Located around 630 km from Lucknow, the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency has five assembly segments namely Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district; and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district.
At least five state ministers had campaigned for BJP candidate in Kairana. They include Dharam Singh Saini (minister of state for Ayush), Suresh Rana (sugarcane development minister), Anupama Jaiswal (basic education minister) Surya Pratap Shahi (agriculture minister) and Laxmi Narayan (religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, waqf and Haj minister).
When Hukum Singh of the BJP won Kairana, his victory margin in 2014 of 2.30 lakh votes was more than the combined votes of the SP, BSP and RLD. He won by a stunning vote share of over 50 per cent. Mr Singh had managed a whopping 50.54 per cent of the votes in 2014. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Hukum Singh had bagged 5,65,909 votes and defeated Nahid Hasan of the Samajwadi Party who got 3,29,081 votes. But the Kairana seat fell vacant after his death in February this year.
Now Hukum Singh's daughter Mriganka Singh is contesting from the seat. Apart from the BJP's traditional upper caste Hindu vote, Mriganka Singh also has the loyalty of members of her own caste, Kairana's 1.4 lakh Hindu Gujjars.
(The by-election in UP's Kairana constituency is taking place because of the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh. Now his daughter Mriganka Singh is contesting on a BJP ticket against RLD's Begum Tabassum Hasan, who is being backed by Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress) Just In: Voting Halted In 1 Booth In UP's Kairana After Faluty EVM Machine
JUST IN
Voting has been halted at the Public Inter College in Kairana because of a faulty VVPAT Electronic Voting Machine or EVM. Election Commission officials are in the process of replacing the machine. Voting will resume after that.
All You Need To Know About Kairana By-Election
Four Lok Sabha seats and 10 assembly constituencies are voting today in the crucial by-elections in 10 states. Among the Lok Sabha seats is the politically important Kairana parliamentary constituency in western Uttar Pradesh where opposition parties including Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party are putting up a show of unity to take on the BJP in the run up to the general elections next year.
The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of BJP lawmaker Hukum Singh. His daughter Mriganka Singh is contesting as the BJP candidate against the wife of a politician who represented the seat earlier. Begum Tabassum Hasan, contesting on a Rashtriya Lok Dal ticket, is backed by a united opposition including Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, Mayawati's BSP, and the Congress.
Hukum Singh's daughter Mriganka Singh is taking on Tabassum Hasan who has been propped as the candidate to oppose the BJP. Tabassum Hasan was earlier with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, then moved to the Samajwadi Party before joining Ajit Singh's RLD. Her late husband Munnawar Hasan has represented the seat earlier.
Out of the 16 lakh voters in Kairana, nearly a third of them are Muslims. The opposition has gone all out to recreate its successes in the bypolls to Gorakhpur and Phulpur, seats earlier held by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. The opposition is also eyeing the chunk of Jat voters, who have traditionally voted for Ajit Singh's RLD but had drifted to the BJP in 2014.
Faced with the opposition onslaught, the BJP is keen on keeping the seat that Hukum Singh won with over 50 per cent of the vote share. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy and some of the top ministers have campaigned relentlessly. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a public meeting close to the Kairana constituency while inaugurating an expressway and spoke of issues concerning sugarcane farmers and law and order that the opposition alleges is a breach of the model code of conduct.
Voting for the 4 parliamentary seats and 10 assembly seats began at 7 am today and will continue till 5 pm this evening. For Kerala's Chengannur and UP's Kairana and Noorpur, voting will be carried out till 6 pm. The counting of votes for both Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls will take place on May 31.
Assembly by-elections are taking place in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon constituency, Uttar Prades's Noorpur, Bihar's Jokihat, Jharkhand's Gomia and Silli, Kerala's Chengannur, Meghalaya's Ampati, Punjab's Shahkot, Uttarakhand's Tharali and West Bengal's Maheshtala.
In Nagaland capital Kohima, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said that all arrangements had been made for the peaceful conduct of the bypoll to the lone Lok Sabha seat in the northeastern state. The Nagaland bypoll is a straight contest between ruling Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate Tokheho Yepthomi, backed by the BJP and opposition NPF nominee C Apok Jamir. The Nagaland by-election was necessitated following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio from the Lok Sabha to contest the Nagaland Assembly election in February. Mr Rio is presently the chief minister of the state.
In Bhandra-Gondia, Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress earlier this year, necessitating the by-election. The ruling BJP has locked horns with the NCP for retaining the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat while in Palghar, it is in a direct fight with the ally Shiv Sena even though the contest is multi-cornered.
In Mahrashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Congress -- have campaigned aggressively for the Lok Sabha by-elections. The outcome is significant as it is likely to have a bearing on their future course. The Shiv Sena has fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the BJP which has in-turn nominated Rajendra Gavit, who Congress switched over from the Congress.
The joint opposition, which includes Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, hopes that by consolidating anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections, where the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat.
The Kairana bypoll will see a joint opposition taking on the ruling BJP. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate for the by-election. She is contesting against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Voting has begun for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats, including the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and 10 assembly constituencies spread across 9 states. Besides Kairana in western UP, by-election will be held in Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, and Nagaland Lok Sabha seat.