New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued the official notification for the by-elections to three Assembly constituencies in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, setting the stage for polling later this month.

According to the poll schedule announced by the Commission, voting for the by-elections will be held on July 30, while the counting of votes is scheduled for August 3.

The process of filing nominations will continue until July 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on July 14, while candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until July 16. Polling will be conducted on July 30, and the entire election process is scheduled to be completed by August 4.

Among the three Assembly constituencies going to the polls, two seats — Bankipur in Bihar and Manjalpur in Gujarat — were previously represented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh was held by the Congress.

The Bankipur Assembly seat fell vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned as an MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April. Nabin was appointed the party’s national president in January.

The Manjalpur Assembly constituency became vacant after the death of BJP MLA Yogeshbhai Narandas Patel in June.

The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified following his conviction in a bank scam case.

Meanwhile, the ECI had said Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units would be used at all polling stations.

It also reiterated that the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) would remain the primary document for voter identification, while Aadhaar, passports, driving licences, PAN cards, MGNREGA job cards and several other government-issued identity documents would also be accepted for voting.

The Model Code of Conduct came into force immediately in these districts covering the three Assembly constituencies following the announcement of the election schedule.

The Commission also reiterated existing directions requiring candidates with criminal antecedents to publish details of pending criminal cases in newspapers and on television on three occasions during the campaign period.

Political parties fielding such candidates must similarly publicise their criminal backgrounds and the reasons for selecting them through their websites, newspapers and official social media platforms.

The information will also be available on ECINET under the “Know Your Candidates” section. Additionally, the ECI reminded intending candidates who had occupied government accommodation during the past 10 years that they could obtain “No Dues Certificates” covering rent, electricity, water and telephone charges under the Commission’s prescribed procedure.

–IANS

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