The announcement of by-election for Mandi parliament constituency and three Assembly seats of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday have alerted both ruling BJP and opposition Congress in the state as these elections are going to be quite crucial.
The Elections to the Mandi parliament seat and three Assembly constituencies i.e. Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal – Kotkhai would be held on October 30 as announced by the Election Commission of India.
The polling process would begin with the Gazette Notification on October 1, last date for filing nomination papers would be October 8, scrutiny of nomination papers would be undertaken on October 11, the last date for withdrawal would be October 13 ; polling in all constituencies would be held on October 30. The counting of votes would be undertaken on November 2.
The model code of conduct would come into effect immediately in the districts(s) in which the whole or any part of the Assembly constituency going for election is included.
The returning officer for Mandi parliamentary constituency Arindam Chaudhary said the model code of conduct has come into effect in the entire Mandi parliamentary constituency.
The by-elections are going to be a litmus test for Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, especially in the Mandi parliamentary constituency in his home district. The parliament seat had fallen vacant after the sitting Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma died a few months back in his official residence in New Delhi in mysterious circumstances.
The Assembly seats of Arki had fallen vacant after death for former CM and veteran Congress stalwart Virbhdadra Singh, Jubbal –Kotkahi MLA Narender Bragta and Fatehpur MLA Sujan Singh Pathania had also passed away some time back.
Since the Assembly Election in Himachal Pradesh is due in December 2022 both BJP and Congress would make determined efforts to prove their mettle and popularity among masses in the by-election.
Both parties have become active and have started parleys at respective party levels.