By-elections to two Assembly constituencies in Manipur’s Thoubal district will be held on November 7, 2020. With the announcement of the poll schedule for the two vacant seats by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Model Code of Conduct has been in force in the whole of the Thoubal district of the state, a press release of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manipur PK Singh stated on Tuesday.
He stated that ECI has decided to hold by-elections to fill vacancies in one Parliamentary constituency of Bihar and 56 Assembly constituencies in various states including Manipur.
In Manipur, the by-elections will be held on November 7, 2020 in 30-Lilong and 34-Wangjing Tentha assembly constituencies of Thoubal district.
The notification for the by-election will be issued on October 13 and the last date for filing nomination for candidature is on October 20. The last date for allowing withdrawal of candidates is October 23, 2020.
The date of vote counting is scheduled on November 10 and the elections in the state should wrap up on November 12, the press release also stated.
In view of it, the election code of conduct has come into immediate effect in the entire Thoubal district from Tuesday, it added.
The state CEO has also directed all intending candidates and political parties, and all stakeholders concerned to comply strictly with the model code of conduct with immediate effect until the election process is completed.
Currently 13 seats of the state Assembly are lying vacant after the Speaker of the state Assembly disqualified some of them while nine legislators (three BJP and six Congress) had resigned from the state Legislative Assembly.
Addressing a press conference here at the state CEO office, Imphal this evening, Manipur Joint CEO, Ramananda Nongmeikapam said that other Assembly constituencies are not included in the by-elections due to pending court cases and election petitions.
Unless the pending cases and election petitions are disposed off, the by-elections to remaining seats of the state Assembly will not be held, he further said.