EC withdraws notification of bypoll at Kandi & Nowda

Kolkata: The Election Commission on Tuesday withdrew its notification regarding the by-elections at the Kandi and Nowda Assembly constituencies in Murshidabad district. The two constituencies, along with four others namely Darjeeling, Islampur, Habibpur (ST) and Bhatpara, were scheduled to go to polls on May 19.

The last date for submitting nomination in all six seats was scheduled on April 29. Both Nowda and Kandi fall under the Berhampore parliamentary constituency, where polls will be held on April 29 as well, on the fourth phase of the seven phase Lok Sabha polls.

Thus, the last date of filing nomination for the Kandi and Nowda Assembly seats was coinciding with the elections in Berhampore. CPI(M) brought the matter to the notice of the Commission and realising the importance of the matter, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bengal withdrew its notification regarding the Kandi and Nowda bypolls.

During the 2016 Assembly elections, Abu Taher and Apurba Sarkar had won from Nowda and Kandi seat respectively on Congress tickets. However, both of them have resigned as MLAs, having joined Trinamool Congress. Both of them are contesting on TMC's ticket in the Lok Sabha polls this year.

Kanaia Lal Agarwal, who had won in 2016 on Congress ticket from Islampur, contested on TMC's ticket from the Raiganj parliamentary seat in this Lok Sabha polls.

Elections have already been held in the second phase of the election at Raiganj. Khagen Murmu, who had won on CPI(M) ticket from Habibpur (ST), has recently joined BJP and is contesting on the saffron party's ticket from the Malda South seat.

Meanwhile, Arjun Singh, who had won on TMC's ticket from Bhatpara, has resigned from his post of MLA after he joined BJP and is contesting from the Barrackpore seat on the latter's ticket. Hence, the by-elections in these seats were declared by the Commission recently. The Commission has informed that voting in Kandi and. Nowda is likely to take place on May 20. The notification in this regard will be issued soon.