Polling Begins in Key Assembly Bypolls Across India: What You Need to Know

Overview of the Bypolls
In New Delhi, polling has commenced for assembly by-elections in five constituencies located in Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala. The voting began at 7 AM and is set to conclude at 5 PM.
The need for bypolls arose due to the passing of sitting MLAs in Gujarat, West Bengal, and Punjab, while resignations in Kerala and another seat in Gujarat also triggered the elections.
Voter Turnout and Incidents
As of 11 AM, West Bengal reported a voter turnout of 30.64% in the Kaliganj assembly seat. However, tensions escalated at one polling booth where Congress accused Trinamool Congress workers of forcibly removing their polling agent, a claim that the ruling party refuted.
The by-election in West Bengal was called following the death of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February, with his daughter, Alifa Ahamed, contesting as the TMC candidate. The BJP has nominated Ashis Ghosh, while Congress is represented by Kabil Uddin Shaikh, who has the backing of CPI(M).
Polling in Kerala and Gujarat
In Kerala's Nilambur constituency, a steady turnout of 30.15% was noted after the initial four hours of voting. The constituency has over 2.32 lakh voters and features key candidates such as M Swaraj from the ruling LDF, Aryadan Shoukath from the Congress-led UDF, and independent candidate P V Anvar.
In Gujarat, the Visavadar and Kadi constituencies recorded turnouts of 28.15% and 23.85%, respectively. The Visavadar seat has been vacant since December 2023 due to the resignation of AAP's Bhupendra Bhayani, who joined the BJP. The Kadi seat became vacant following the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki.
Punjab's Ludhiana West Assembly Bypoll
In Punjab, the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll saw a turnout of 21.51% by 11 AM. This seat became vacant after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora, who is also a prominent industrialist, urged voters to participate actively in the election.
The Congress has fielded Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former minister, while the BJP has nominated Jiwan Gupta. The results of these bypolls are expected to be announced on June 23.