Bypolls Live Highlights | Assembly bypolls in four states sees 50-70% turnout; ID checks, murder mar UP voting

Bypolls in 15 assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand will be held on Wednesday. Votes will be counted on November 23.

This will be the first electoral test of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc as well as the NDA in the politically-crucial state after the Lok Sabha elections.

The bypoll in Palakkad was necessitated after the Congress MLA of the constituency, Shafi Parambil, got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency.

A total of 90,540 voters, including 45,775 women, in the constituency are eligible to exercise their franchise.

Bypolls in 4 assembly seats of Punjab

Bypolls will also be held in four assembly seats -- Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala -- in Punjab.

The bypolls were necessitated after MLAs representing them were elected to the Lok Sabha. Of the four assembly segments, Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal were earlier held by the Congress, and the Barnala seat by the AAP.

Forty-five candidates, including three women, are in the fray. A total of 6.96 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

The bypolls will decide the fate of key contestants, including BJP nominee and former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Congress's Amrita Warring, Jatinder Kaur, AAP's Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, Dr Ishank Kumar Chabbewal and BJP's Kewal Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal and Ravikaran Singh Kahlon. (PTI)

Mock polling under way at a polling booth under Gidderbaha Assembly constituency, in Sri Muktsar Sahib district

Voting for Assembly by-elections in 9 UP constituencies to be held today

Mock polling under way at a polling booth in AUP School Kalpathi in Palakkad

Polling began amid tight security at 7 am on Wednesday for bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.

Forty-five candidates, including three women, are in the fray for the bypolls. A total of 6.96 lakh voters, including 3.31 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 831 polling stations.

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Voting for by-elections in Nanded (Maharashtra) Lok Sabha constituency is also being done today.

UP: Voting for Assembly by-elections in 9 constituencies of the state to be held today.

Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for bypolls to nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The constituencies going to the polls are Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki. The votes will be counted on November 23.

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Polling began at 7 am on Wednesday for by-election to the Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand.

The assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July this year. There are six candidates in the fray, with BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Congress's Manoj Rawat seen to be locked in a straight contest.

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Polling begins in Kerala's Palakkad Assembly constituency

Voting in the by-poll for the Palakkad Assembly constituency in Kerala commenced at 7 am on Wednesday.

People began arriving early in the morning at the 184 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 1.9 lakh voters who will cast their votes to elect a representative from among 10 candidates.

Among the 10, the key contenders are Rahul Mamkootathil (Congress-led UDF), C. Krishnakumar (BJP-led NDA), and P. Sarin (CPI(M)-led LDF)

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Assembly by-elections voter turnout till 9 am in detail

Palakkad (Kerala) 12.63%

Chabbewal (Punjab) 4.15%

Gidderbaha (Punjab) 15.11%

Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab) 9.70%

Barnala (Punjab) 6.80%

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) 5.36%

Sishamau (Uttar Pradesh) 5.73%

Majhawan (Uttar Pradesh) 10.55%

Meerapur (Uttar Pradesh) 13.01%

Khair (Uttar Pradesh) 9.03%

Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh) 8.83%

Kundarki (Uttar Pradesh) 13.59%

Karhal (Uttar Pradesh) 9.67%

Katehari (Uttar Pradesh) 11.48%

Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) 4.30%

Palakkad witnesses moderate turnout after first hour of polling

The first hour of voting in the Palakkad assembly by-poll in Kerala witnessed a low turnout of 1.11 per cent at 8 am which climbed to 6.76 per cent by 8.30 am, according to figures released by the Election Commission. People started arriving early in the morning at the 184 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 1.9 lakh voters who will cast their votes to elect a representative from among 10 candidates.

Punjab bypolls: 8.53% polling in 4 assembly segment in first two hours

A voter turnout of over eight percent was recorded in the first two hours of polling in the bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab on Wednesday, officials said.

Polling began at 7 am and would end at 6 pm.

UP bypolls: Adityanath, Akhilesh, Mayawati urge people to cast their votes

In his social media message, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called on the voters to support the uninterrupted development journey of the state.

"Appeal to the respected voters to vote to provide more speed and strength to the uninterrupted development journey of Uttar Pradesh. Vote unitedly to bring comprehensive and positive change in the lives of 25 crore residents of the state," he said in a Hindi post on X.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in his appeal, encouraged people to cast their votes with their future and the values of the Constitution in mind.

"Voters of the nine assembly seats in UP where elections are being held are requested to go and cast their vote while remaining committed to their future and the Constitution," Yadav wrote on X in Hindi.

He also emphasised the importance of full voter participation and said: "Karein 100 per cent matdaan, rahein 100 per cent savdhaan"

Mayawati said on X, "An appeal to all voters to cast their votes with the resolution of 'first vote then refreshment' in the general elections for the state assemblies of Maharashtra and Jharkhand as well as in the by-elections being held on 9 assembly seats in UP. It is important to force the party and the government to work for public interest and public welfare through votes," she posted in Hindi.

6.03% voter turnout recorded till 9 am for the Lok Sabha by-elections to Nanded, Maharashtra.

BJP candidate from Assembly constituency Asha Nautiyal casts her vote at a polling booth in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag.

I appeal to the people to cooperate and vote. Voting is our duty: BJP leader & Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan says

Bypolls: Kedarnath records 4.30% polling in first hour

The Kedarnath assembly constituency of Uttarakhand recorded a turnout of 4.30 per cent in the first hour of polling on Wednesday.

Polling began at 8 am and will go on till 6 pm, he said. The assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July this year.

There are six candidates in the fray, with BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Congress's Manoj Rawat seen to be locked in a straight contest.

Voting begins on slow note in the ongoing bypolls

Polling started at 7 am in 14 seats and will end at 5 pm. However, in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath it started at 8 am and will end at 6 pm.

According to the Election Commission's update at 9 am, the average voting across the seats stood at 9.67 per cent.

The results of the bypolls, however, will not have any direct impact on the respective legislative assemblies.

Palakkad bypoll: Brisk polling after three hours of voting

Brisk polling was witnessed in the Palakkad assembly by-poll on Wednesday with a turnout of 20.50 per cent at 10.30 am, more than three hours after voting commenced. 

Clash broke out between Congress and AAP workers at the polling booth of village Dera Pathana.

There was a clash between two parties near village Kakaroli of police station area Kakaroli:

Police disperse crowd in Meerapur Assembly constituency of Muzaffarnagar district

'Goons' wanted to capture booth and create issues, one of them was arrested: Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa over clashes during bypolls

6.03 per cent voting in Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll till 9 am

Altogether 6.03 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll till 9 am on Wednesday, election officials said. The voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. There is a direct fight between Ravindra Chavan of Congress and BJP’s Santukrao Hambarde.

12.59 per cent voting till 11 am in Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll

Altogether 12.59 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll till 11 am on Wednesday, election officials said.

UP bypolls: SP says cops deterring voters, BJP seeks identification of burqa-clad women

The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday accused police personnel of deterring some people from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are underway, while the BJP alleged that the faces of some burqa-clad women voters are not matching with their IDs.

Both the SP and the BJP called for the Election Commission (EC) to intervene.

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Punjab bypolls: Over 20% polling recorded in first four hours

A voter turnout of over 20 percent was recorded till 11 am in the bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab on Wednesday, officials said.

Polling began at 7 am and would continue till 6 pm. A voter turnout of 20.76 percent was registered till 11 am, they said.

UP bypolls: Voting underway in nine assembly seats; 20.51% turnout at 11 am

Voting for bypolls in nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh picked up pace after a sluggish start, with over 20 per cent voters turning up to exercise their franchise by 11 am on Wednesday.

According to the Election Commission's update at 11 am, the average voting across the seats stood at 20.51 per cent.

Sandeep Varier visits influential Samastha leader on Palakkad bypoll day

As the voting for the crucial assembly by-poll is underway in Palakkad, former BJP leader Sandeep Varier, who recently joined the Congress party, called on prominent Islamic scholar and Samastha leader Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal at his house here on Wednesday.

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, popularly known as Samastha, is an apex body of Sunni scholars in the state. Though Varier termed it as a "courtesy call", it assumes great significance as it came a day after two Malayalam newspapers, the mouthpieces of two prominent factions of the Samastha, published CPI (M)-sponsored advertisements against him.

20.5% voting has taken place in 9 assemblies of Uttar Pradesh

Bypolls: Kedarnath records 17.69% polling at 11 am

The Kedarnath assembly constituency of Uttarakhand where bypoll is being held on Wednesday recorded a turnout of more than 17 per cent in the first three hours of polling.

By 11 am, 17.69 per cent of the electorate cast their votes, an election official said. Polling began at 8 am and will go on till 6 pm, he said.

Stone pelting in Meerapur, cops use 'mild force' to disperse crowd

Two groups attacked each other with stones in Kakroli village during voting for the Meerapur assembly bypoll following a confrontation on Wednesday, police said.

The cause of the confrontation was not known immediately.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhishek Singh told reporters that after receiving information about the incident, police promptly reached the spot and dispersed the crowd using "mild force".

"The situation was brought under control and voting continues peacefully," the officer said.

Voting picks up after sluggish start, stone pelting reported in UP constituency

An average voter turnout of 20 per cent was recorded in the first four hours of voting in the bypolls to 15 assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand on Wednesday amid an incident of stone pelting in a village in UP's Meerapur and allegations of police personnel deterring voters from casting their ballot.

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UP BJP writes to Chief Electoral Officer of the state, alleging casting of votes in Meerapur Assembly constituency of Muzaffarnagar district on fake IDs

Uttar Pradesh BJP writes to Chief Electoral Officer of the state, alleging casting of votes in Meerapur Assembly constituency of Muzaffarnagar district on fake IDs by people "coming from outside who were made to stay in mosques, madrasas and lodges of the district." The party also alleges that women in veils are being allowed to vote without checking their identity and taking advantage of this, men are coming to vote by wearing burqa.

UP bypolls: EC orders suspension of cops for violating guidelines on checking voters; stopping them from voting, say sources

CEC Rajiv Kumar directs UP poll officials to ensure fair and smooth voting process: Officials

SP's media cell also highlighted alleged poll code violations at some locations, including the Kundarki seat in Moradabad.

We have lodged several complaints with the Election Commission over irregularities in Meerapur, Kundarki and other Assembly constituencies: Akhilesh Yadav

UP bypolls: 31.21 pc turnout at 1 pm in 9 assembly seats

Voting for bypolls in nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh picked up pace after a sluggish start, with over 31 per cent voters turning up to exercise their franchise by 1 pm on Wednesday.

The EC update showed the following voter turnout: Ghaziabad (20.92 per cent), Katehari (24.28 per cent), Khair (28.80 per cent), Kundarki (41.01 per cent), Karhal (32.29 per cent), Majhawan (31.68 per cent), Meerapur (36.77 per cent), Phulpur (26.67 per cent), Sisamau (28.50 per cent).

The elderly, young and even physically-challenged people were seen at polling stations since morning.

Body of woman found in sack in Mainpuri's Karhal, two arrested; family claims political motive behind crime

Assembly by-elections voter turnout till 1 pm

Palakkad (Kerala) 40.16%

Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab) 40.40%

Barnala (Punjab) 28.10%

Chabbewal (Punjab) 27.95%

Gidderbaha (Punjab) 50.09%

Kundarki (Uttar Pradesh) 41.01%

Karhal (Uttar Pradesh) 32.29%

Katehari (Uttar Pradesh) 36.54%

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) 20.92%

Sishamau (Uttar Pradesh) 28.50%

Meerapur (Uttar Pradesh) 36.77%

Majhawan (Uttar Pradesh) 31.68%

Khair (Uttar Pradesh) 28.80%

Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh) 26.67%

Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) 34.40%

Gazetted officers are being sent to the spot from where allegations have been made: SSP Moradabad Satpal Antil on Kundarki Assembly by-election and Samajwadi Party alleges voting irregularities

Moradabad, UP: On Kundarki Assembly by-election and Samajwadi Party alleges voting irregularities, SSP Moradabad Satpal Antil says "Gazetted officers are being sent to the spot from where allegations have been made. For each allegation, an investigation is being done. We recently went to a nearby village and similar things came up there as well. In that village, we have removed 1 sub-inspector and 2 constables from duty and it is being ensured that the election process is completely fair and a maximum number of people can participate in a free and fair manner."

AAP will win the bypolls with a huge margin: Barnala seat candidate, Harinder Singh Dhaliwal.

There is no such report of voters being stopped anywhere: Mirzapur SP Abhinandan

Voting is under way in Shahpur Chausa for the Majhawan bypoll: District Election Officer Priyanka Niranjan

"We inspected all three polling booths here, nearly 50% voting has taken place in all three booths. People in large numbers are turning out to cast their vote," says District Election Officer Priyanka Niranjan.

Voter turnout till 3pm in Punjab are as following:

Chabbewal - 40.25%

Gidderbaha - 65.80%

Dera Baba Nanak - 52.20%

Barnala - 40.00%

Voter turnout till 3pm in Uttarakhand are as following:

Kedarnath - 47.00%

Voter turnout till 3pm in Uttar Pradesh are as following:

Katehari - 49.29%

Karhal - 44. 70%

Meerapur - 49.06%

Ghaziabad - 27.44%

Majhawan -43.64%

Sishamau - 40.29%

Khair - 39.86%

Phulpur -36.58 %

Kundarki - 50.03%

Voter turnout in Kerala's Palakkad till 3pm

Palakkad - 54.11%

Killing in UP mars voting, turnout barely touches 50% in most states

Voter turnout in Kerala's Palakkad till 5 pm

Palakkad = 62.25%

Voter turnout till 5pm in Uttar Pradesh are as following:

Katehari - 56.69%

Karhal - 53.92%

Meerapur - 57.02%

Ghaziabad - 33.30%

Majhawan - 50.41%

Sishamau - 49.03%

Khair - 46.35%

Phulpur - 43.43 %

Kundarki - 57.32%

Voter turnout till 5 pm in Uttarakhand are as following:

Kedarnath - 56.78%

Voter turnout till 5 pm in Punjab are as following:

Chabbewal - 48.01%

Gidderbaha - 78.10%

Dera Baba Nanak - 59.80%

Barnala - 52.70%

Kerala bypoll: After Wayanad and Chelakkara, Palakkad too witnesses drop in voter turnout

The drop in voter turnouts in by-polls, despite intense campaigning by the major political parties, is widely interpreted as public resentment towards by-polls caused by the resignation of sitting MP and MLAs.

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Assembly bypolls in four states sees 50-70% turnout; ID checks, murder mar UP voting

While the polling percentage in Kerala was 70.51, it was 63 in Punjab, 57.64 in Uttarakhand and 49.3 in Uttar Pradesh. The final figures are likely to change.

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