Crucial Bypolls Across 15 States: Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad in Focus

The Election Commission announced bypolls in 48 assembly constituencies, including crucial seats in Uttar Pradesh and the Wayanad Lok Sabha. The elections are significant for the ruling BJP, which seeks to regain momentum after the recent Lok Sabha setback, and opposition parties, eager to capitalize on the opportunity.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission declared bypolls across 48 assembly constituencies, encompassing nine in Uttar Pradesh and the prominent Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Chief Commissioner Rajiv Kumar shared the schedule during a press conference, also revealing assembly poll dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Among the 10 vacant seats in Uttar Pradesh, elections were announced for nine; Milkipur in Ayodhya remains pending due to a legal petition. The polls for 47 assembly seats and the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat are slated for November 13, with voting in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra's Nanded on November 20. Jharkhand's assembly elections will occur in two phases, on November 13 and 20, while Maharashtra heads to polls on November 20 as well, with results on November 23.

The bypolls span 15 states, with significant numbers in Uttar Pradesh, where key constituencies such as Meerapur, Kundarki, and Ghaziabad will be contested. These elections are pivotal for the BJP, which hopes to reverse its Lok Sabha performance, having dropped to 33 seats from 62 in 2019. In contrast, the Samajwadi Party, guided by Akhilesh Yadav, increased its tally, capturing 37 seats and joining forces with Congress for the bypolls.

(With inputs from agencies.)