The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council is set to hold two separate bye-elections by the Members of the Legislative Assembly to fill two casual vacancies in the council. According to the details provided by the Election Commission, the first vacancy was caused by the resignation of Sri Laxman Prasad “Acharya” on 15th February 2023, while the second was caused by the death of Sri Banwari Lal on the same day. The term for Sri Laxman Prasad “Acharya” was up to 30th January 2027, while Sri Banwari Lal’s term was up to 6th July 2028.
The election commission has announced a common schedule for both bye-elections. The notification for the bye-elections will be issued on 11th May 2023, with the last date for nominations set for 18th May 2023. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on 19th May 2023, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is set for 22nd May 2023. The polling will take place on 29th May 2023, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, with the counting of votes scheduled for the same day at 5:00 pm. The election process should be completed by 31st May 2023.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Election Commission has issued broad guidelines contained in paragraph 32 of Press Note dated 29th March 2023. The guidelines are available at the following link: https://eci.gov.in/files/file/14863-general-election-to-legislative-assembly-of-karnataka-2023/. All persons involved in the election process must follow the guidelines wherever applicable to ensure the safety of all involved.
The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh has been directed to depute a senior officer to ensure that the existing instructions regarding COVID-19 containment measures are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the election. The bye-elections will be held in compliance with all COVID-19 protocols to prevent the spread of the virus