While voting is in full swing for the Karnataka state elections, bypolls are also simultaneously taking place for one Lok Sabha seat in Punjab and four Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Meghalaya. Polling for the seats began around 7-8 am on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.

Jalandhar, Punjab: High-stakes Lok Sabha bypoll witnesses four-cornered contest

The Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll is underway with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) competing fiercely in the Dalit stronghold. Security is tight as voting began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm.

The Jalandhar seat fell vacant after the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Phillaur earlier this year.

ALSO READ | India Business Leader Awards: CNBC-TV18 to host 18th edition on May 11

The constituency has 16,21,800 eligible voters, including 8,44,904 males, 7,76,855 females and 41 transgenders. There are 19 candidates, including four women. As part of this election, a dedicated women-only polling station has been established in all nine assembly constituencies falling within the Jalandhar parliamentary seat.

People wait in queue at a polling station to cast their votes for Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election seat on May 10.

Key candidates include Sushil Rinku (AAP), Karamjit Kaur (Congress), Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal (BJP) and Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi (SAD). The AAP aims to make its mark in the Lok Sabha through a victory in this election. Meanwhile, the Congress seeks to defend its incumbent stronghold, and the BJP and SAD hope for a comeback after defeats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls.

Suar & Chhanbey, Uttar Pradesh: Bypolls witness intense contest between ruling coalition and Samajwadi Party

Bypolls for the Suar and Chhanbey Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh are underway where the ruling coalition and the opposition Samajwadi Party are engaged in a direct contest.

Voting is taking place from 7 am to 6 pm on May 10 at 774 polling booths across `both constituencies, with 6.62 lakh eligible voters. There are 14 candidates in the fray—six in Suar and eight in Chhanbey.

Campaigning has been lackluster due to leaders being occupied with the Karnataka elections and urban local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh. Notably, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has opted not to contest the by-elections, while the Congress has fielded a candidate only in Chhanbey.

ALSO READ | Stock Market Live: Sensex, Nifty 50 trade flat, Dr Reddy shares slide ahead of earnings

Results, however, will not affect the assembly's composition but will serve as a morale booster ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The Suar seat in Rampur district is closely watched as it was previously held by Abdullah Azam Khan, son of senior SP leader Azam Khan, until it was declared vacant due to his conviction in a 15-year-old case.

The Chhanbey seat in Mirzapur is vacant after the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol. His wife, Rinki Kol, is contesting on behalf of the party, while the Samajwadi Party has fielded Kirti Kol.

Jharsuguda, Odisha: BJP, BJD and Congress fight for seat

Polling commenced for the by-election in the Jharsuguda assembly seat in Odisha amidst tight security arrangements.

A total of 2,21,070 eligible voters, including 1,10,320 males, 1,10,687 females, and 63 third-gender individuals, can cast their votes across 253 booths. There are nine candidates in the fray and polling will continue until 6 pm.

Adequate measures have been taken to ensure peaceful voting, including the deployment of over 1,000 poll officials and seven paramilitary force companies. CCTV cameras, micro-observers, and central forces have also been deployed at critical booths.

ALSO READ | Karnataka Election 2023 LIVE: Congress MLA alleges polling stopped at a booth in Chamnur village

Collector cum District Election Officer Aboli Sunil Naravane said this was the first time that webcasting was done in all 253 polling stations.

The by-election was necessitated by the murder of the sitting MLA and former Health Minister Naba Kishore Das. The contest primarily involves the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), BJP and Congress, with BJD fielding Das's daughter, BJP nominating Tankadhar Tripathy and Congress putting forth Tarun Pandey.

Sohiong, Meghalaya: Voting commences across 3,328 booths amid tight security

Voting commenced for the Sohiong by-election in Meghalaya amidst stringent security measures. Polling will be conducted until 4 pm across 3,328 booths, with 1,100 identified as sensitive and 28 as critical.

Over 34,000 eligible voters, including more than 16,000 men, can exercise their franchise in this by-election. The election will be held in 63 polling stations, overseen by over 300 polling officials.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of United Democratic Party candidate HDR Lyngdoh prior to the assembly elections held in the rest of the state.

ALSO READ | Karnataka Elections 2023: Key battles to watch out for in triangular contest

Six male candidates are contesting in the bypoll representing different political parties. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, along with Deputy CMs Prestone Tynsong and S Dhar, and several ministers campaigned in favour of the National People's Party candidate, highlighting the party's achievements as the leading government.

With agency inputs.

First Published:May 10, 2023 11:03 AM IST