Nomination ends for bypolls to 47 seats in 13 states

With the filing of nominations for bypolls to 47 seats spread across 13 states ending Friday, a big test awaits the opposition INDIA bloc in this crucial showdown with the BJP.

Voting will be held on November 13 in nine seats of Uttar Pradesh, seven seats in Rajasthan, six seats in West Bengal, five seats in Assam, four seats each in Bihar and Punjab, three seats in Karnataka, two seats each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim, and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Meghalaya. Bypoll will also be conducted in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat that day.

Most of the seats fell vacant after the sitting MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha as MPs while in some constituencies, the bypolls are being held due to death of the representatives.

The I.N.D.I.A bloc, which failed to put up a united fight in the recently-held Haryana assembly polls resulting in the BJP winning comfortably, could not agree on a seat-sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh for the bypolls.

The Samajwadi Party is finally contesting on all the nine seats with the Congress deciding to opt out though it announced it will hold "joint campaigns" with its ally.