Polling for by-elections in four assembly constituencies began on Monday morning amid tight security. The polling began in three in West Bengal and one in Uttarakhand. The constituencies going to by-polls today are Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand and Kaliaganj (SC), Karimpur and Kharagpur Sadar in West Bengal.
"After taking into consideration inputs from the Chief Electoral Officers of Uttarakhand and West Bengal and various factors like local festivals, electoral rolls, weather conditions etc, the Commission has decided to hold by-elections," the Election Commission had said in a press note on October 25.
About 13.81 per cent of over seven lakh voters exercised their franchise in the by-polls to three Assembly seats in West Bengal in the first two hours, an EC official said.
The Gazette Notification for these polls was issued on October 30 and the last date for filing nominations was November 6.
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In West Bengal, these are the first polls since after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in which BJP had won 18 out of the 42 seats. Today's electoral battle is being seen as a triangular contest between Trinamool Congress, BJP and Left-Congress parties.
With polling being held today, the counting of votes will take place on November 28.
