EC announces schedule for bypolls in Karnataka, Manipur, WB

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) The Election Commission today announced the election schedule for the eleven Legislative Assembly constituencies spread over three states of Karnataka, Manipur and West Bengal.

According to an EC release issued here, the elections will be held to fill the casual vacancies in these states. Of these, seven vacancies are to be filled up in Karnataka, three in West Bengal and one in Manipur.

''The Commission has taken this decision after taking various factors like requirement of Central Police Forces and festivities in consideration,'' the release added.

As per the EC release, the notification for the by-election will be issued on December 3, 2008, last date for making nominations is December 10. The scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on December 11 and last date for the withdrawal of candidature is December 13. The poll, if necessary, will be held on December 27 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 30. The entire poll process is to be completed by January 1, 2009.

The Electoral rolls in respect of these eleven Assembly constituencies have been revised with reference to January 1, 2008 as the qualifying date as per earlier delimitation orders except in the state of Karnataka where these are based on the new delimitation order.

The Commission has decided to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in these by-elections in all the polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs have been made available and all the steps to ensure that the poll is conducted smoothly with the help of these machines will be taken.

The Commission has decided that the voter's identification shall be mandatory in this by-election at the time of poll. In order to ensure that no voter is deprived of his/her franchise, if his/her name figures in the Electoral Rolls, separate instructions will be issued to allow additional documents for identification of voters at the time of poll in this by-election.

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced holding of by-elections for 11 legislative seats spread over these three states hence the Model Code of Conduct(MCC) come into effect from yesterday in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Assembly Constituency going for by-election are included. The Model Code of Conduct shall be applicable to all the candidates, political parties and the State Government. The model code of Conduct shall also be applicable to the Union Government as far as this State is concerned.

The seven Assembly constituencies in Karnataka where the by-election will be held are Hukkeri, Arbhavi, Devadurga (ST), Kanwar, Turuvekere, Doddaballapur and Maddur The lone Assembly which will go to by-poll in Manipur is Moirang.

The three Assembly constituencies that will be going in for by-election in West Bengal are Sujapur, Nandigram and Para.

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