Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 26, 2025, Kolkata:
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced that by-elections to five Assembly constituencies in four states will be held on June 19. The constituencies include two in Gujarat and one each in Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal. The filing of nominations for these seats will close on June 2, and the counting of votes is scheduled for June 23. The Commission, however, did not announce bypolls for the two vacant Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir—Nagrota and Budgam—for now.In West Bengal, the bypoll to the Kaliganj Assembly seat in Nadia district has been necessitated by the passing of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. The election comes at a politically sensitive time for the Mamata Banerjee-led government, which is currently under criticism over alleged irregularities in school recruitment processes.
Gujarat will see bypolls in the Visavadar and Kadi constituencies. The Visavadar seat is expected to witness a three-cornered contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Congress. The seat had fallen vacant after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani defected to the BJP in 2023. The bypoll was previously delayed due to an election petition filed by the BJP candidate defeated in 2022. Meanwhile, the bypoll in the Kadi constituency was necessitated by the death of sitting BJP MLA Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki.
In Punjab, the Ludhiana West Assembly seat became vacant following the demise of MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. The seat holds strategic importance for the Aam Aadmi Party, particularly in the aftermath of its electoral setback in the Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year.
The Nilambur constituency in Kerala fell vacant after the resignation of Independent MLA P. V. Anvar in January. Anvar had parted ways with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front following disagreements with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, amid allegations concerning one of Vijayan’s aides and senior police officials. After his resignation, Anvar joined the Trinamool Congress as its Kerala coordinator, following an unsuccessful attempt to join Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He has since extended support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
The Election Commission did not announce by-elections for the Nagrota and Budgam Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, which have remained vacant since October 2024. Budgam fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who won from two constituencies in the October 8 elections, resigned from one seat on October 21. The Nagrota seat became vacant following the demise of MLA Devender Singh Rana on October 31.
As per Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission is mandated to fill casual vacancies in Parliament and State Legislatures within six months. However, in consultation with the Central Government, this period may be extended if conditions do not permit the conduct of elections. According to Commission sources, the earlier decision to defer the Jammu and Kashmir bypolls was influenced by a combination of factors, including the harsh winter, the observance of Ramzan and Eid, the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and subsequent military escalations between India and Pakistan. The Commission is expected to review the situation and make a decision in due course.
The upcoming by-elections across the four states will serve as a critical test for both regional and national political parties as they recalibrate their strategies ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections and beyond.
