Photo source: ECI
By Nava Thakuria
The recently concluded by-elections for 48 legislative assembly constituencies in 14 States (along with two Parliamentary constituencies in Kerala and Maharashtra) of India divulges an important fact that no less than 41 assembly seats needed the special elections as those were vacated by the respective legislators after they were elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. These legislators who vacated their respective assembly seats after getting elected to the Lok Sabha belonged to different political parties (irrespective of their ideologies or positions in the government).
Given the fact that elections cost heavily to the exchequer – a reason that is behind the ‘One Nation One Election‘ concept propagated so vigorously by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the questions thus arise that were it not possible for the political parties, including Modi’s party – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to pick up fresh candidates with a higher percentage of winnability (and allow the legislators to complete their terms) in the Lok Sabha polls? Wasn’t it wiser for them to help the government (read millions of direct and indirect taxpayers) save a huge volume of electoral expenditure to fill the space created by those newly elected Parliamentarians?
The statistics presented by the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirm that except for seven assembly constituencies (two each in Rajasthan and Sikkim, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh), all other seats became vacant as their representatives shifted their working space to New Delhi after electoral successes. Rajasthan reported the death of two legislators in the Salumber and Ramgarh seats, whereas another MLA passed away in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath constituency. Disqualification of a legislator necessitated the by-polls in Sishamau (Uttar Pradesh). In Sikkim, by-polls became necessary as Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang vacated one seat to continue with the Rhenock constituency. Amazingly, Namchi-Singhithang seat was deserted by the CM’s wife, Krishna Kumari Rai, (for reasons best known to her only) soon after taking the oath. Finally, the Vijaypur (Madhya Pradesh) legislator changed his party affiliation, ensuring an obligatory resignation.
Out of nine assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, which went to by-polls recently, the legislators vacated eight seats to become Parliamentarians. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav marched to Lok Sabha, leaving the Karhal seat vacant. Another SP leader, Ziaur Rehman, left the Kundarki seat after the successful Lok Sabha elections. The Katehari seat was deserted by the SP leader, Lalji Verma. Chandan Chauhan (Rashtriya Lok Dal) left the Meerapur seat. Similarly, the Ghaziabad seat was abandoned by Atul Garg of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whereas Vinod Kumar Bind left the Majhawan seat. BJP legislator Anoop Pradhan Balmiki vacated Khair, and Praveen Patel (BJP) left the Phulpur seat.
In Rajasthan, five assembly seats were abandoned by sitting legislators to fight LS elections successfully, thus compelling the ECI to conduct by-polls. Jhunjhunu assembly seat was vacated by Brijendra Singh Ola of the Indian National Congress (INC) after LS polls. Another INC legislator Harish Chandra Meena vacated the Deoli-Uniara seat and Murari Lal Meena left the Dausa seat. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal left the Khinwsar seat, and Raj Kumar Roat of the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) vacated Chorasi.
By-polls in all six constituencies of West Bengal, where the assembly elections are due within two years, became necessary as the respective legislators successfully participated in the 2024 national elections. Trinamool Congress (TMC) representative Jagdish Chandra Basunia vacated the Sitai seat, and Manoj Tigga (BJP) left the Madarihat seat. Partha Bhowmick (TMC) vacated the Naihati seat, and another TMC legislator SK Nurul Islam abandoned the Haroa seat. June Maliah (TMC) left the Medinipur seat while another party man Arup Chakraborty vacated the Taldangra seat.
Punjab also witnessed four sitting MLAs joining the Lok Sabha. The Gidderbaha seat was vacated by the INC legislator Raja Warring, while another Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, abandoned the Dera Baba Nanak seat. Raj Kumar Chabbewal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) left the Chabbewal seat while another AAP leader, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, vacated the Barnala seat.
Similarly, Bihar, which awaits assembly elections by next year, embraced by-polls to fill up four assembly seats as the legislators shifted their working space to New Delhi. Sudama Prasad of the Communist Party of India – Marxist-Leninist (Liberation) (CPI-ML-L) vacated the Tarari seat and Sudhakar Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) left the Ramgarh seat. Similarly, the Imamganj seat was abandoned by Jitan Ram Manjhi (Hindustani Aawam Morcha-Secular and the Belganj seat was vacated by the RJD’s Surendra Prasad Yadav.
Three assembly seats in Karnataka were also vacated by sitting MLAs inviting the by-polls. Basavaraj Bommai (BJP) left the Shiggaon seat, whereas E Tukaram (INC) vacated the Sandur seat. Channapatna seat was relinquished by HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). Two seats in Kerala fell vacant as both the legislators participated fruitfully in Lok Sabha polls. INC leader Shafi Parambil vacated the Palakkad seat and K Radhakrishnan (CPM) left the Chelakkara seat. In Madhya Pradesh, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (BJP) vacated the Budhni seat. Raipur City South assembly constituency of Chhattisgarh was vacated by Brijmohan Agrawal (BJP). The Vav assembly seat of Gujarat was left vacant with the elevation of Geniben Nagaji Thakor (INC) to the Lok Sabha.
Five seats of Assam, where assembly elections are due in 2026, along with one assembly constituency of Meghalaya, too, went for by-polls as all the legislators were elected to Lok Sabha. INC legislator Rakibul Hussain vacated the Samaguri seat, whereas BJP’s Parimal Suklabaidya left the Dholai seat. Another BJP legislator Ranjit Dutta abandoned the Behali seat and the Sidli seat was vacated by Jayanta Basumatary of the United Peoples’ Party-Liberal. Asom Gana Parishad legislator Phani Bhusan Choudhury vacated the Bongaigaon seat. Meghalaya’s Gambegre assembly constituency was deserted by INC leader Saleng A Sangma.
Obviously, these statistics indicate that the recent by-polls could have been limited to less than seven assembly constituencies if the political parties had behaved responsibly.
In light of this, the question arises whether this issue be addressed by the proposed ‘One Nation One Election’ initiative for simultaneous elections in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies and local government bodies across the country. Isn’t this the time for the electorates to come above their loyalty, affiliation or inclination to any political party and stand unitedly asking for a colossal electoral reform in the largest democracy of the globe?
*Senior journalist
