New Delhi: Campaigning for the November 7
bypolls to one Lok Sabha and 31 assembly seats spread across
seven states ended today following days of hectic
electioneering and political rhetoric.
Congress' politician-turned-actor Raj Babbar is
pitched against SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-
law Dimple in the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh,
where a total of 177 candidates are in the fray in this
constituency and 11 assembly seats.
The bypoll in Firozabad was necessitated by the
resignation of SP MP and Mulayam's son Akhilesh, who had also
won from the Kannauj seat.
During electioneering, SP virtually signalled the end
of its ties with Congress and criticised Rahul Gandhi for
campaigning against Dimple, saying the move is "against
political courtesy".
Bypolls will also be held in 10 assembly seats in West
Bengal, three in Kerala, two each in Assam, Himachal Pradesh
and Rajasthan and one seat in Chhattisgarh. Most of the seats
fell vacant due to sitting members becoming MPs.
Counting of votes would take place on November 10.
The campaigning for assembly bypolls in Kannur,
Ernakulam and Alappuzha in Kerala witnessed an acrimonious
phase of political rhetoric between the CPI(M)-led ruling LDF
and the Congress-controlled UDF.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 06, 2009, 00:10