By-polls begin in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh began today amid tight security.
The polling for three Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies, Thirupparankundram, Aravakkurichi and Thanjavur, and the lone Nellithope constituency in Puducherry began at 7 a.m. on Saturday.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 7.54 lakh voters are expected to exercise their vote and decide the fate of 81 candidates in the fray in the three constituencies.
While there are other parties in the contest, the contest is mainly between the AIADMK and the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The counting of votes will be held on November 22.
WEST BENGAL POLLING BEGINS
Meanwhile, polling began amidst enthusiasm for by-elections to two Lok Sabha and one assembly seats in West Bengal. An electorate of nearly 3,524,977, including 1,689,735 females and 38 from the third gender are eligible to choose their representatives from among 23 candidates vying for honours in Cooch Behar (Reserved-Scheduled Castes) and Tamluk parliamentary constituencies and Monteshwar assembly seat.
The state's principal political parties, the ruling Trinamool Congress, the Congress, the Left Front and the BJP, are in fray for all three seats.The elections are being held under the shadow of the central government's demonetisation move to unearth black money and counterfeit coins, that has caused turmoil across the nation.
The Cooch Behar parliamentary constituency fell vacant after the death of Trinamool's Renuka Sinha, while Tamluk has gone to the hustings as the incumbent MP Suvendu Adhikari became a minister in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Cabinet. Trinamool lawmaker Sajal Panja's death has caused the Monteshwar assembly by-poll. The vote count is on Tuesday.
MADHYA PRADESH BY-ELECTIONS
By-elections to Shahdol Lok Sabha constituency and Nepanagar assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, which have assumed significance as the first major ground test for the ruling BJP after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes took place today. According to officials, elaborate arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the by-polls.
