Bypolls in 6 states begin amid tight security, first electoral contest between BJP-led NDA and INDIA bloc

Polling for bypolls to seven Assembly constituencies across six states began today at 7 am amid tight security. The polling is underway in seven Assembly constituencies that is Dumri in Jharkhand, Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Puthuppally in Kerala and Dhupguri in West Bengal.

The bypolls are being conducted to fill up vacant seats and seen as the first electoral contest between the recently formed Opposition bloc INDIA and the BJP-led NDA. 

The counting of votes will be held on September 8.

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Samajwadi Party’s Dara Singh Chauhan had resigned as MLA in Ghoshi and joined BJP. In Dhanpur, BJP’s Pratima Bhoumik had resigned to retain her Lok Sabha seat, which left the Assembly seat vacant. In Boxanagar, CPM and BJP are in direct contest after the death of the Left party legislator Samsul Haque.

In Bageshwar, the by-election was prompted by BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass's death. The BJP has fielded its former MLA's wife Parwati against the Congress's Basant Kumar and Samajwadi Party's Bhagawati Prasad.

In Dumri, left vacant by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Jagarnath Mahto, the state ruling party has fielded his wife Bebi Devi under the INDIA banner against the NDA's Yashoda Devi and AIMIM's Abdul Rizvi.

In Dhupguri, which fell vacant after the death of BJP's Bishnupada Roy, BJP has fielded Tapasi Roy against Trinamool's Nirmal Chandra Roy and CPM's Ishwar Chandra Roy.