With less than 10 days remaining, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday rescheduled bypolls in 14 Assembly constituencies across Kerala, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh from November 13 to November 20 after requests from political parties. Bypolls to 14 constituencies will be held with Maharashtra Assembly elections, and the second phase of Jharkhand polls.

Sources in the poll panel said political parties had requested for a change in the polling date, citing festivals such as Kalpathi Rastholsavam (November 13-15), Kartik Purnima (November 15) and Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev (November 15). The parties said the festivals may impact voter turnout in these states.

“Representations have been received in the Commission from various recognised national and state political parties (including BJP, INC, BSP, RLD) and some social organisations for change of date for poll in some Assembly constituencies having by-elections on 13th November, 2024, considering large scale social, cultural and religious engagements on that day which may cause inconvenience to large number of people, give rise to various logistic issues and may lead to reduced voters participating during the poll,” the EC said.

In Kerala, the byelection to Palakkad assembly seat has been rescheduled while that for Chelakkara Assembly and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats will be held as scheduled earlier on November 13. According to the Congress, a significant portion of the electorate in the Palakkad assembly seat in Kerala will celebrate the festival of Kalpathi Rastholsavam from November 13 to 15.

In Punjab, the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev will be celebrated on November 15 and an akhand path will be organised from November 13 onwards. The four Punjab assembly seats where bypolls are being held are Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha and Barnala.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal had said that in Uttar Pradesh, people travel for three to four days ahead of Kartik Purnima, which will be celebrated on November 15. Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are due include Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, Majhawan. The EC had fixed November 13 as the date for bypolls in 48 Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha seats.