Bypolls held for 2 LS, 12 assembly seats

Bypolls were held for two parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and 12 assembly seats spread across 10 states on Saturday.

The by-election in Odisha’s Pipili assembly seat was adjourned following the death of Congress candidate Ajit Mangaraj due to Covid-19 on Wednesday. In Nagaland, H Chuba Chang of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, the sole candidate in the fray, was elected unopposed to the Noksen assembly seat, said the Election Commission.

In Andhra Pradesh, about 64% turnout was recorded in the bypoll to the Tirupati (SC) Lok Sabha seat. Opposition Telugu Desam, the BJP and the Congress demanded that the bypoll be cancelled forthwith, alleging that the ruling YSR Congress instigated bogus voting. Later, the EC directed the collectors of Chittoor and SPS Nellore districts to ensure fair poll. Tirupati went to the bypoll due to the death of YSRC MLA Balli Durga Prasad Rao last September.

In Karnataka, polling was held in Belgaum Lok Sabha seat and Basavakalyan and Maski assembly seats. Bypoll to Belgaum was necessitated after the death of Union minister Suresh Angadi. Bypolls to Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh assembly seat recorded 60% turnout, while 43% turnout was recorded in bypoll to Uttarakhand’s Salt assembly seat. Nearly 70% turnout was recorded in bypoll to Mizoram’s Serchhip assembly seat. Polling was also held for Sahara, Rajsamand and Sujangarh seats in Rajasthan; Pandharpur-Mangalvedha assembly constituency in Maharashtra’s Solapur district; Morva Hadaf (ST) assembly seat of Gujarat’s Panchmahal; Nagarjuna Sagar seat in Telangana and Madhupur seat of Jharkhand.