What Does the ECI's Notification Mean for the Nuapada Assembly Bypoll?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Election Timeline: Nomination filing starts today.
- Key Dates: Last date for nominations is October 20.
- Transparency Measures: Webcasting at polling booths.
- Polling Stations: 358 stations with a maximum of 1,200 voters.
- Criminal Record Disclosure: Mandatory publication of candidates’ past records.
Bhubaneshwar, Oct 13 (NationPress) On Monday, the Election Commission of India released the Gazette Notification regarding the upcoming bypolls for the Nuapada Assembly constituency, detailing the election timeline.
This vacancy occurred due to the unexpected passing of Rajendra Dholakia, a prominent former minister and veteran leader of the BJD, on September 8.
With the notification now issued, the process for filing nominations begins today.
Prospective candidates have until October 20 to submit their nominations, which is the final deadline.
Nominations will be scrutinized on October 22, and candidates may withdraw their nominations by October 24.
The bye-election for the Nuapada seat is set for November 11, with the vote counting scheduled for November 14.
The Election Commission of India has confirmed that the entire electoral process will be finalized by November 16.
Voting will commence at 7 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. across all polling stations, except for 47 booths in Naxal-affected areas, where polls will close at 4 p.m.
Previously, Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan announced the establishment of 358 polling stations—including 56 new ones—in the Nuapada constituency for the forthcoming by-election.
No polling station will accommodate more than 1,200 voters. Gopalan also assured that sufficient EVMs and VVPAT machines are available for this by-election.
Moreover, it is required to publish candidates’ prior criminal records in newspapers and on television channels three times during the campaign period for both independent candidates and political parties.
Additionally, all polling booths will feature webcasting to promote transparency.
It is important to note that both the ruling BJP and the main opposition BJD have yet to declare their candidates for the bypoll.
Meanwhile, the Congress has officially announced veteran tribal leader Balabhadra Majhi as its candidate for the Nuapada bye-election scheduled for November 11.