The announcement for the bypoll to Maharashtra’s Satara parliamentary constituency was announced by the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday. EC said that on October 21, bypoll will be held along with the Assembly elections in the state.
After the Bombay High Court decided on an election petition on Satara Lok Sabha elections, it was decided to hold the bypoll. “The High Court sent its communication to the Commission on September 23 and, thus the dates for the bypoll has been announced now,” an EC official said.
Udayanraje Bhoslae, the sitting MP from the Satara constituency recently left the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined BJP, resigning from his seat on September 14. A descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Bhosale, 53, was elected as an MP from Satara thrice, in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
The EC said that the result of the bypoll will be announced on October 24 along with the Assembly election results.
The poll panel said that the notification for the Satara bypoll will be issued on Friday and the last date for filing nomination will be October 4. While, the scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on October 5 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 7.
The BJP –Shiv Sena alliance have already started their election campaigns. BJP campaign started with Maha Jan Aadesh Yatra headed by Maharashra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month, to connect to voters across Maharashta. Infact PM Narendra Modi too took part in the campaign on Thursday.
In Maharashtra, the BJP won 122 seats in 2014, while its alliance partner Shiv Sena won 63. The Congress won 42 and the NCP 41 seats while others managed 20.
On September 21, the poll panel announced the schedule for the Assembly polls in the state. Elections will be held in single phase on October 21. Counting of votes will take place on October 24 and the results will be out on the same day.
The five-year term of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra expires on November 9.