Bypolls for 12 assembly seats in 8 states on Feb 13: EC

Last date of filing nominations will be Jan 27 and counting will be held on Feb 16

The Election Commission today announced bypolls to 12 assembly constituencies in eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka and Maharashtra, to be held on February 13.

In UP, Muzzafarnagar, Deoband and Bikapur assembly seats while Devadurga, Bidar and Hebbal in Karnataka will go for byelections.

In Punjab, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tripura, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh one assembly constituency each will have byelections. These constituencies are Khadoor Sahib, Palghar, Harlakhee, Amarpur, Narayankhed and Maihar respectively.

The notification will be issued on January 20, while Jaunary 27 will be the last date of filing nominations. While candidates can withdraw from the electoral race till January 30, the polls will be held on February 13, a Saturday.

Counting will be held on February 16, the EC said.

All the three seats in UP were held by the ruling Samajwadi Party. The Devadurga seat in Karnataka was held by the ruling Congress, while Bidar and Hebbal were held by BJP.

The Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab was held by Congress, while Harlakhee in Bihar was held by RLSP. In Tripura's Amarpur, the bypoll was necessitated after CPI-M expelled its sitting MLA M Acharjee who later resigned from the assembly in December, 2015.

The bypoll on Palghar in Maharashtra was due since June last year but the EC could not move ahead as an election petition was pending. The seat was with Shiv Sena.

The Narayankhed seat in Telangana and Maihar seat in Madhya Pradesh were held by Congress.