ECI announces by-elections in Bihar, MP and Gujarat; Polling on July 30

The Election Commission announced by-elections for three Assembly constituencies in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Polling will be held on July 30, counting on August 3, with the Model Code of Conduct taking effect immediately in the affected constituencies

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced by-elections to three vacant Assembly constituencies in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, with polling scheduled for July 30 and counting of votes on August 3.

With this, the election process is scheduled to be completed by August 4. The by-elections will be held for Bankipur in Bihar, Datia in Madhya Pradesh and Manjalpur in Gujarat.

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The vacancies arose following the resignation of Nitin Nabin in Bihar’s Bankipur, the disqualification of Rajendra Bharti in Datia, Madhya Pradesh, and the death of Yogeshbhai Patel in Manjalpur, Gujarat.

According to the schedule issued by the Commission, the gazette notification will be issued on July 6, nominations may be filed until July 13, scrutiny of nominations will take place on July 14, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is July 16. Polling will be held on July 30, while votes will be counted on August 3.

The Commission said electoral rolls for the three constituencies had already been finalised following the Special Summary Revision or Special Intensive Revision process.

The final electoral rolls were published on September 30, 2025, for Bankipur; February 21, 2026, for Datia; and February 17, 2026, for Manjalpur. The ECI said that continuous updation of the rolls would continue until the last date of filing nominations, subject to the applicable qualifying date.

The ECI 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.

Among the three vacancies, the Bankipur seat became vacant after the resignation of Nitin Nabin. The Datia constituency fell vacant following the disqualification of Rajendra Bharti, while the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat became vacant after the death of Yogeshbhai Patel.