The opposition INDIA bloc and the BJP-led coalition are gearing up for a major showdown as six states vote today to fill vacant assemblies. Voting will take place at seven locations in these six states. Today’s constituencies are Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Puthuppally in Kerala, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Dumri in Jharkhand and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura. The votes in all seven seats will be counted on September 8. This is the first election since the Inclusive Alliance for National Development of India (INDIA) was formed by opposition parties who decided to contest the elections “as much as possible together”. Polls in Dhupgur, Puthuppally, Bageshwar, Dumri and Boxanagar resulted in the death of sitting MLAs. In Ghos and Dhanpur, the resignation of an MLA led to fresh elections. Samajwadi Party member Dara Singh Chauhan resigned as MLA in Ghosh and joined the BJP. He is now the BJP candidate against his former party’s Sudhakar Singh, who is also supported by the Congress. In Dhanpur, BJP’s Pratima Bhoumik resigned to retain her Lok Sabha seat, leaving the Assembly seat vacant. BJP sent his brother Bindu Debnath and CPM’s Kaushik Chanda to Dhanpur. In Boxanagar, CPM and BJP are in direct competition after Left Party legislator Samsul Haque quit the seat. In Bageshwar, the by-election was triggered by the death of BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass. The BJP has fielded its former MLA’s wife Parwati against Basant Kumar of the Congress and Bhagawati Prasad of the Samajwadi Party. Puthuppally will go to polls today after the death of Oommen Chandy left the seat vacant. The Congress-led front has fielded veteran leader Chandy Oommen’s son against CPM’s Jaick C Thomas. In Dumri, vacated by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Jagarnath Mahto, the ruling party in the state fielded his wife Bebi Devi under the INDIA flag against NDA’s Yashoda Devi and AIMIM’s Abdul Rizvi. In Dhupgur, which fell vacant after the death of BJP’s Bishupada Roy, BJP fielded Tapasi Roy against Trinamool’s Nirmal Chandra Roy and CPM’s Ishwar Chandra Roy.
