BJP, Congress, CPIM request EC to reschedule Palakkad bypolls due to Kalpathy Rathotsavam festival

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 16 (ANI): Major political parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) have requested the Election Commission of India to reschedule the by-election in Palakkad as it coincides with a historic annual festival in Kalpathy village in the constituency.

Earlier on Tuesday, ECI announced bypolls to 48 assembly constituencies including nine seats in Uttar Pradesh and the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala on November 13. The counting will be held on November 23.

The announcement was made by the Chief Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference in which he also announced dates of assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Leader of Opposition in state assembly, VD Satheesan and BJP state president K Surendran also wrote a letter to the ECI, and the CPIM state secretariat also released a statement on Tuesday requesting the postponement of the bypoll.

Kalpathi Ratholsavam, is a local chariot festival held annually in Kalpathy village, Palakkad, and it is to be held from November 13 to 15, 2024.

The bypolls are spread across fifteen states – Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

In Rajasthan, bypolls will be held in Chorasi, Khinwsar, Dausa, Jhunjhunu, Deoli-Uniara, Salumber and Ramgarh. In West Bengal- Taldangra, Sitai, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Madarihat.

In West Bengal the bypolls will be held in Taldangra, Sitai, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Madarihat.

The largest number of bypolls will be held in Uttar Pradesh and seats going to the polls are Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Phulpur, Katehari, Majhawan, and Sishamau.

BJP in Uttar Pradesh had suffered a setback in Lok Sabha polls. BJP could win only 33 seats compared to 62 it won in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP would be keen to regain its winning momentum in Uttar Pradesh.

The bypolls are also crucial the opposition parties. The Samajwadi Party has already declared candidates on six of the ten seats and has said it would contest the bypolls with the Congress.