 "Women showing their inked fingers during the Assam Assembly polls in April 2016")
The Election Commission (EC) on Monday announced the schedule for by-elections to various parliamentary and assembly seats across seven states. Balloting will be held on November 19 for all the seats, the commission said.
The by-elections are to be held for four parliamentary seats- Lakhimpur (Assam), Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh), Coochbehar (West Bengal) and Tamluk (West Bengal).
The assembly seats that are going for by-polls are Baithalangso in Assam, Hayuliang in Arunachal Pradesh, Nepanagar in Madhya Pradesh, Monteswar in West Bengal, Thiruparankundram in Tamil Nadu, Barjala and Khowai in Tripura and Nellithope in Puducherry.
According to the announcement, candidates can file their nominations until November 2, following which the list will be scrutinised on November 3. The last date for withdrawing nominations is November 5.
The voting will be held on November 19 through electronic voting machines and the votes would be counted on November 22, the EC said.
Besides, elections to the assembly constituencies of Aravakurichi and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, which were earlier rescinded by the poll panel, will also be held according to the same schedule, the EC said.
"The model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the districts, in which the whole or part of the constituency (is going) for by-elections," said the Deputy Election Commissioner, Umesh Sinha.
Sinha added that the code of conduct will be applicable to all candidates, political parties and ruling governments in all the states going for elections.
