UP Assembly bypolls: 149 candidates file nominations for Nov 13 elections

Seventy-eight candidates filed their nomination papers for the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls on Friday, taking the total number of contestants from the nine seats to 149.

Friday was the last day for filing nomination papers.

According to the Election Commission (EC), scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on October 28 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 30.

Voting will be held on November 13 and counting of votes on November 23.

The EC on October 15 announced the bypolls on nine seats of the UP assembly, leaving out Milkipur (Ayodhya) due to a court case.

The seats where bypolls will be held are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Eight of these seats fell vacant after the sitting MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha polls. On the Sisamau seat, the by-election was necessitated due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.

In the 2022 assembly polls, the Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur and Kundarki seats were held by the Samajwadi Party (SP), while the BJP won the Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan and Khair seats. The Meerapur seat was held by the RLD.

The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday announced its candidates for eight of the nine assembly seats, leaving one seat for its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

The Congress has announced it would not field candidates in the bypolls but work unconditionally to ensure the victory of SP candidates or those of other INDIA bloc parties.

The Congress' assertion came a day after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said all the INDIA bloc candidates would contest the bypolls on his party's 'cycle' election symbol.