ECI steps up vigil ahead of assembly elections, bypolls; seizures cross Rs 650 crore

April 5, 2026 3:24 PM

ECI steps up vigil ahead of assembly elections, bypolls; seizures cross Rs 650 crore

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said seizures related to cash, liquor, drugs and other inducements have crossed ₹650 crore ahead of the upcoming assembly elections and bypolls across multiple states. According to the Commission, enforcement agencies have seized assets worth ₹651.51 crore since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26. The seizures include cash, liquor, narcotics, precious metals and other freebies aimed at influencing...

Bypolls for 8 assembly constituencies across 7 states and union territories to be held on Nov 11

October 6, 2025 11:06 PM

Bypolls for 8 assembly constituencies across 7 states and union territories to be held on Nov 11

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that by-elections for eight assembly constituencies across seven states and Union Territories will take place on November 11. The counting of votes for the by-election is scheduled for November 14. These by-elections are being held to fill vacancies caused by various reasons such as resignations, deaths, or disqualifications. The by-elections will take place in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam and Nagrota districts, Rajasthan's Anta distri...

Assembly bypolls: Voting underway on five seats in Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat

June 19, 2025 11:27 AM

Assembly bypolls: Voting underway on five seats in Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat

Amid heightened security, voting began on Thursday for by-elections to five Assembly seats across Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala — marking the first electoral contest since the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Polling commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m. (till 8 p.m. in Gujarat), with heavy deployment of central security forces and local police, alongside live monitoring through an extensive webcasting system. By-elections are being held in Kaliganj (West ...

Election Commission announces bypolls for six Rajya Sabha seats on December 20

November 26, 2024 8:21 PM

Election Commission announces bypolls for six Rajya Sabha seats on December 20

The Election Commission of India has announced bypolls for six vacant Rajya Sabha seats, with elections scheduled for December 20. The results will be declared the same day. The six vacancies include three seats from Andhra Pradesh and one each from Odisha, West Bengal, and Haryana. All the seats became vacant following the resignations of their respective members. The Election Commission has set December 10 as the last date for filing nominations, with the deadline for withdrawing candidature...

Polling begins for 15 Assembly seats across UP, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand

November 20, 2024 10:09 AM

Polling begins for 15 Assembly seats across UP, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand

Polling commenced on Wednesday for by-elections in 15 Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. In Uttar Pradesh, nine constituencies—Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, and Majhawan—are up for by-polls. These elections hold particular significance for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which faced a major setback in the state during the last elections, winning only 36 of 80 seats. In Punjab, by-elections are underway ...

Campaigning ends for Maharashtra Assembly elections and Jharkhand’s second phase

November 19, 2024 1:39 PM

Campaigning ends for Maharashtra Assembly elections and Jharkhand’s second phase

Campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections and the second phase of Jharkhand polls concluded on Monday, with voting scheduled for November 20. Campaigning also ended for by-elections in nine Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, four in Punjab, and one in Palakkad, Kerala. Maharashtra’s 288-member Assembly will witness a high-stakes contest between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance—which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP—and the opposition Maha Vikas Agha...

Voting for bypolls begins for 31 Assembly seats across 10 states and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency

November 13, 2024 9:00 AM

Voting for bypolls begins for 31 Assembly seats across 10 states and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency

Voting is underway in the bye-elections for 31 Assembly seats across 10 states, as well as the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, from where Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut.  Interestingly, though these bypolls will not have any bearing on the governments, they are seen as a big test for the Congress and the INDIA bloc which failed to put up a united show in the recent Haryana Assembly polls. Along with Wayanad, seven seats in Rajasthan, s...

EC announces bypoll for Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, Priyanka Gandhi to make her election debut

October 15, 2024 9:28 PM

EC announces bypoll for Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, Priyanka Gandhi to make her election debut

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced bypolls for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala and the Nanded seat in Maharashtra. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is expected to make her electoral debut by contesting from Wayanad. The Wayanad seat was vacated by Rahul Gandhi after he also secured a Lok Sabha win from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh during the general elections held earlier this year. In June, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge confirmed that Rahul Gandhi would retain Rae Bareli,...