Election Commission
Kolkata: Election Commission on Monday announced bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies on Oct 6 and counting of votes on Oct 9. The notification for bypolls will be issued on Sept 9, last date for filing nominations is Sept 16 while scrutiny will take place on Sept 17, according to the EC schedule. Candidates can withdraw their nominations till Sept 19. Bypolls would also be held in Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Thattanchavady in Puducherry and Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam on Oct 6.
The bypolls were necessitated by the resignations of Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari, who won from both Nandigram and Bhowanipore in the April assembly elections, and Rejinagar MLA Humayun Kabir . Two other Lok Sabha seats — Shillong in Meghalaya and Basirhat in Bengal — remain vacant and polls have not been announced there yet. The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in Murshidabad (for Rejinagar) and East Midnapore (for Nandigram).
With the matter pending, it remains to be seen whether EC issues its ruling before Sept 9. EC said the existing electoral rolls for Nandigram and Rejinagar were published on Feb 28. Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Kabir, who won from both Rejinagar and Nowda, resigned as Rejinagar MLA.
“However, the process of continuous updation of electoral rolls will continue till the last date of filing nominations, with respect to proximate qualifying date, in respect to applications received till 10 days before last date of filing nominations,” it added. The bypoll announcement comes at a time when two factions of Trinamool are locked in a bitter dispute over which group represents the original party. Both factions have approached EC staking claim to the party’s electoral symbol. In the assembly polls, Adhikari defeated Trinamool chairperson and former CM Mamata Banerjee in Bhowanipore and subsequently chose to retain the south Kolkata seat, resigning as MLA from Nandigram.