Bypolls to seven assembly seats on Sept 5, litmus test for INDIA bloc: Details

Ghosi, Dhupguri in UP and West Bengal and five more seats in Tripura, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand will go to bypolls on Tuesday.

Bypolls to seven assembly seats is scheduled to be held Tuesday, serving as a litmus test for the Opposition's newly formed INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The results of these polls will be announced on Friday, the Election Commission had said last month.

The counting of votes will be held on September 8. (Image for representational purpose)

INDIA is a Opposition grouping of 28 non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties who come together to defeat the Narendra Modi government in the next year's general elections. The outcome of these bypolls is expected to give a sneak peak into the strength of INDIA as well as a hint of public perception about its viability and effectiveness.

Which seven seats will go to bypolls?

The bypolls will be held for two seats in Tripura, and one seat each in Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Jharkhand: The byelection to Dumri assembly seat was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Jagarnath Mahto. A total of eight candidates have submitted nominations for the seat. However, the battle is expected to unfold mainly between Jharkhand minister and INDIA's joint candidate Bebi Devi, and Yashoda Devi of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Bebi Devi is the spouse of former minister Mahto, whose demise prompted the election.

Tripura: Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats in Tripura will go for bypoll due to the demise of sitting MLA Samsul Haque and resignation of Pratima Bhoumik, the EC said. Campaigning for both the seats ended Sunday. Boxanagar constituency is considered the CPI(M) party's stronghold. Here, BJP's Tafajjal Hussain will contest against Left party's Mizan Hussain. Mizan is the son of Boxanagar CPI(M) MLA Haque who passed away.

Dhanpur, once a strong Communist bastion, will see a fierce contest between BJP's Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)’s Kaushik Debnath. Two independent candidates will also fight from this seat. Of the total 110 booths at both the seats, 34 have been categorised as vulnerable where paramilitary forces will be deployed, as per Sepahijala district magistrate.

West Bengal: Here, the Dhupguri assembly seat was vacated following the death of sitting assembly member Bishnu Pada Ray. This seat will put INDIA's unity to test as the Trinamool Congress will battle Congress-CPI(M) alliance, all constituents of the Opposition bloc. At present, the seat is held by the BJP, which will attempt to retain it while checking its erosion in its vote share. TMC aims to oust the BJP from the tribal dominated seat, while CPI(M)-Congress alliance hopes to regain its traditional seat.

Uttar Pradesh: Ghosi seat in UP fell vacant after SP's Dara Singh Chauhan resigned to join the BJP. It will be the first INDIA bloc-BJP clash in UP, a state considered BJP's stronghold. From INDIA's side, the Congress, Left parties and the Aam Aadmi Party have extended support to the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Sudhakar Singh. Singh will contest against the sitting MLA Chauhan who is seeking re-election after his crossover.

Uttarakhand: The Bageshwar seat in the hill state fell vacant after the demise of sitting MLA Chandan Ram Das. BJP candidate Parvati Das will fight the bypoll to retain her late husband's seat, which he represented since 2007. Congress has fielded Basant Kumar as its bet for this bypoll. Kumar was earlier in AAP and had joined the Congress just few days before being declared its candidate.

Kerala: Congress veteran Oommen Chandy's demise has prompted the election on Puthuppally seat in the southern state. He represented the seat for over 50 years. The ruling party CPI(M) has fielded Jaick C Thomas from this constituency, while the Congress-UDF candidate is Chandy Oommen, the son of late former chief minister, who will try to retain his father's seat.