By-Poll Elections 2024 LIVE: Voting Begins In 15 Assembly Seats Across 4 States

Punjab

Among the key contestants in the fray are former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal and Ravikaran Singh Kahlon (BJP), Amrita Warring and Jatinder Kaur (Congress), and Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and Ishank Kumar Chabbewal (AAP).

Kerala

Among the 10 contesting candidates, the key contenders are Rahul Mamkootathil (Congress-led UDF), C. Krishnakumar (BJP-led NDA), and P. Sarin (CPI(M)-led LDF).

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Uttarakhand

There are six candidates in the fray, with BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Congress's Manoj Rawat seen to be locked in a straight contest.

Out of nine seats in UP, Karhal in Mainpuri district holds the key as it is considered the stronghold of the Samajwadi Party. While in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is hoping to expand its hold.

On November 13, 31 assembly seats across 10 states which included seven seats in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, five in Assam, four in Bihar, three in Karnataka, two in Madhya Pradesh, and one each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, and Meghalaya.

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Polling is also being held for the Palakkad seat in Kerala and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

The by-poll in Palakkad was necessitated after the Congress MLA of the constituency, Shafi Parambil, got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency.

The Kedarnath seat fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MLA Shailarani Rawat in July. Both the candidates, BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Manoj Rawat of Congress, have represented the Kedarnath assembly seat in the past.

Nautiyal won it in 2002 and 2007 as a BJP candidate. Shaila Rani Rawat won it in 2012 on a Congress ticket. She contested the seat as a BJP nominee in 2017 and lost to the Manoj Rawat. However, she wrested the seat from Rawat in 2022.

In Punjab, bypolls will be held in four assembly seats including Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala in Punjab.

The bypolls were necessitated after MLAs representing them were elected to the Lok Sabha. Of the four assembly segments, Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal were earlier held by the Congress, and the Barnala seat by the AAP.

Forty-five candidates, including three women, are in the fray. A total of 6.96 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

In Uttar Pradesh, polling will be held in Katehari, Karhal, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki. Ninety candidates are in the fray in these seats with the maximum of 14 in Ghaziabad.

This will be the first electoral test of the INDIA bloc as well as the NDA in the politically-crucial state after the Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2022 assembly polls, Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal and Kundarki were won by the SP, while the BJP won Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan and Khair. The Meerapur seat was won by BJP ally RLD.

Assembly by-polls are set to take place in 15 seats spread across Uttar Pradesh (9 seats), Punjab (4 seats), Kerala (1 seat), and Uttarakhand (1 seat) on November 20.

In Uttar Pradesh, polling will be held in Katehari, Karhal, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki.

In Punjab, elections will be held in four assembly seats including Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala.

Polling will also be held for the Palakkad seat in Kerala and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.