ECI sets stage for bypolls, Rajya Sabha contests before Bihar vote

New Delhi: The Election Commission is preparing to roll out the schedule for a series of bypolls, followed closely by elections to vacant Rajya Sabha seats-each promising to be a high-voltage electoral contest in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, ET has learnt.

Bypolls are pending for seven assembly seats and one parliamentary seat across West Bengal, Punjab, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, and Gujarat. Additionally, 12 Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant between June and July.

The Election Commission is expected to maintain a heightened level of scrutiny, given the sensitive nature of several constituencies.

Consider Kaliganj in West Bengal, where a bypoll is due following the death of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed on February 1. Located in Nadia district near the Bangladesh border, the constituency has seen complaints from the TMC about bogus voters, duplicate voter IDs, and alleged illegal migration. The poll panel has intensified scrutiny of the electoral rolls here, with the outcome likely to serve as a critical signal ahead of the 2026 state elections.

Meanwhile, Basirhat in West Bengal also awaits a Lok Sabha bypoll, though the election remains stalled by a pending court petition.

In Punjab, AAP faces a make-or-break contest in Ludhiana West, where a bypoll was triggered by the death of MLA Gurpreet Gogi in January. With AAP ousted from power in Delhi, the party is campaigning aggressively, with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora expected to contest.

In Gujarat's Visavadar, a bypoll is now likely after a long-standing petition was resolved. AAP has already fielded Gopal Italia, signaling an early campaign push.

Up north, Jammu & Kashmir is preparing for two pivotal bypolls. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who contested and won from both Ganderbal and Budgam, retained the former-making Budgam a prestige battle for the ruling National Conference. For the BJP, the Nagrota bypoll-vacant after Devender Singh Rana's death in October 2024-also carries symbolic weight.

In Kerala, political drama is unfolding in Nilambur. The seat was vacated by PV Anvar of the LDF in January over alleged inaction by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against police corruption. Anvar is now reportedly backing the Congress-led UDF, setting the stage for a complex contest. For the BJP, this will be a crucial test for its new state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Beyond assembly bypolls, the Rajya Sabha will see 12 seats filled between June and August.

Tamil Nadu will be at the center of attention, with six Rajya Sabha seats up for grabs on July 24. These include three held by the DMK, and one each by the AIADMK, MDMK, and PMK.

In fact, the imminent RS election is learnt to have recently sparked off a rift in the father-son duo at MDMK amid the AIADMK alliance with BJP.

There is also a Rajya Seat waiting in Andhra Pradesh, a vacancy created after Jagan Reddy’s aide V Vijaysai Reddy completed his term in January.

This year will also finally see Rajya Sabha elections to four seats in J&K –– seats vacant since 2021–– after Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shamsher Singh Manhas, Nazir Ahmad Laway, and Fayaz Ahmad Mir completed their terms.

No fresh RS election could be held here due to President’s rule in the interim. It is expected that these will be held soon after the two assembly bypolls.