Stage Set for Jharkhand Assembly Elections and 33 Bypolls Across 11 States

Polling is set to begin on Wednesday for the first phase of Jharkhand’s assembly elections, the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala, and 33 bypolls across 11 states.

In Jharkhand, the BJP-led NDA aims to unseat the JMM-led coalition, with notable candidates like former Chief Minister Champai Soren and Congress leader Ajoy Kumar vying for seats. The elections in Jharkhand will occur in two phases on November 13 and 20, covering 43 seats in the first phase. The second phase, covering 38 more seats, will take place on November 20, with votes to be counted on November 23. Security is tight, with over 200 companies of security forces deployed across sensitive areas.

In Wayanad, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut, vying for a seat previously held by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, who retained his Raebareli seat after the recent general election. Priyanka faces off against Satyan Mokeri from the LDF and Navya Haridas from the BJP. Rahul Gandhi has been campaigning for his sister as part of this effort.

Across the 33 bypoll seats, significant contests are taking place, with seven seats in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, and five in Assam among the key battlegrounds.