UP: Voting for Kairana parliamentary constituency, Noorpur Assembly seat begins
Voting for the by-elections to UP's Kairana Parliamentary constituency and Noorpur Assembly constituency began 7 am today and will continue till 6 pm. 16.09 lakh voters will cast their votes in Kairana to decide the fate of 12 candidates, while in Noorpur 3.06 lakh voters will decide the fate of 10 candidates. There are 2,056 polling booths; votes will be counted on May 31.
Why were the by-polls necessitated in both constituencies?
The Kairana by-poll was necessitated following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, the by-election to Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated by the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident in February.
Candidates that political parties fielded for Kairana by-polls
From Kairana, BJP has fielded late MP Hukum Singh's daughter Mriganka Singh, pitted against Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan (BSP MP from Kairana in 2009) who is also supported by the Congress, SP, and also claims the support of BSP. The parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments - Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district, and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district.
Who all are fighting in Noorpur Assembly by-polls?
In the Noorpur Assembly by-polls, the BJP announced the name of Avani Singh, wife of late MLA Lokendra Chauhan, as its candidate. The SP has fielded Naeemul Hasan as its candidate. The opposition hopes that by consolidating the anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the results of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections where the ruling party suffered an unexpected defeat.
BJP will try to retain both the seats
However, the ruling BJP will make extra effort to retain both the seats to try and send a message to voters, party cadres, and to opposition parties that the drubbing in Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections were a closed chapter now.
