Bypoll to 10 LS seats likely with UP polls

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) By-elections to ten Lok Sabha Parliamentary constituencies which fell vacant following the Supreme Court's judgement upholding the decision of Parliament to expel members in the cash for query scam are likely to be held along with Uttar Pradesh assembly polls to be completed before May 14.

According to Election Commission sources, it was mandatory that the by-election process for these 10 Lok Sabha seats be completed within six months from January 10 - the day when the Apex court announced its verdict.

Meanwhile, the Commission has deleted the names of 50 lakh voters, including those of around 23 lakh dead voters from the electoral rolls of Uttar Pradesh following intensive scrutiny of the voters' list. Interestingly, almost an equal number of new voters' names have been included in the electoral rolls as a result of which there was virtually no change in the number of total voters from the state, the sources said.

The Commission has also finalised the by-election for the Tehri Garhwal Parliamentary constituency in Uttarakhand. This seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MP Manabendra Shah on January 5.

The Commission has decided to hold the bye-election to fill the vacancy simultaneously along the Legislative Assembly Constituencies of the State.

Accordingly, the notification would be issued on January 25, last date of filing nominations was being kept at February 1, scrutiny of nominations on February 2, last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 5, date of poll February 21, counting of votes on February 27 and date before which election process would be completed is March 3, the sources added.

UNI