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Bye-elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar Filing of nominations begin

1. Election Commission of India has issued notifications on July 6, 2026 for holding bye-elections to fill vacancies in the 3 Legislative Assemblies namely, 22-Datia in Madhya Pradesh, 145-Manjalpur in Gujarat and 182-Bankipur in Bihar. With the issue of these notifications, the process of filing nominations has commenced for the three ACs.
2. Constituency-wise bye-election schedules are as follows:

S. No.	Election Activity	Date / Time
1.	Last date for making nominations	Monday, July 13, 2026
2.	Scrutiny of nominations	Tuesday, July 14, 2026
3.	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	Thursday, July 16, 2026
4.	Date and hours of poll, if necessary	Thursday, July 30, 2026, 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
5.	Date of counting of votes	Monday, August 3, 2026, 8:00 AM onwards
6.	Date before which election shall be completed	Tuesday, August 4, 2026

3. The Commission also issued instructions today to the states concerned to ensure compliance with the statutory provisions of paid holiday and dry days in the poll-bound constituencies.
4. As per Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking, or any other establishment and entitled to vote at the bye-election shall be granted a paid holiday on the day of poll and no deduction of wages shall be made. All daily wages and casual workers are also entitled to a paid holiday on the day of poll. Any employer who contravenes these provisions shall be liable to a fine.
5. The Commission has further clarified that electors, including casual and daily wage workers, who are working or employed in industrial or commercial establishments located outside their constituency but are registered as electors in a constituency going to poll, shall also be entitled to the benefit of paid holiday on the day of poll to enable them to cast their vote.
6. Section 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides that no spirituous, fermented or intoxicating liquor or other substances of like nature shall be sold, given or distributed at a hotel, eating house, tavern, shop or any other place, public or private, within a polling area during the period of forty-eight hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of poll for any election in the polling area. This will include the date of re-poll, if any. In view of this, 'Dry day' shall be declared and notified under the relevant State laws.
7. 'Dry day' shall also be declared on the day of counting i.e. August 3, 2026.

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PK/GDH/RP