The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that by-elections for the Visavadar and Kadi Assembly constituencies in Gujarat will be held on June 19, as part of bypolls scheduled across five constituencies in four states. The formal schedule was released via an official notification issued on Sunday.
The Visavadar seat became vacant following the resignation of Bhupat Bhayani, who was elected as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).&nbsp;
The Kadi seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, was rendered vacant due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Karsan Solanki.
The polling in both constituencies is set for June 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 23, and the entire election process is to be completed by June 25. The Gazette Notification will be issued on May 26.&nbsp;
The last date for filing nominations is June 2, followed by scrutiny on June 3. Candidates will have until June 5 to withdraw their nominations.
Reacting to the announcement, AAP Gujarat state president Isudan Gadhvi stated, &ldquo;After legal obstacles, Visavadar and Kadi by-elections are announced and I congratulate the people of Gujarat and farmers of the region. This election is going to be between farmers and poor people and BJP. It is not just the Aam Aadmi Party&rsquo;s or Gopal Italia&rsquo;s election.&rdquo;
He further alleged, &ldquo;BJP spends crores of rupees in buying MLAs and opposition leaders. We have given a strong candidate like Gopal Italia to give due justice to farmers and poor people. I urge both Congress and BJP workers to vote for Gopal Italia because he is going to raise your issues.&rdquo;
Gadhvi also remarked on the evolving relationship between AAP and Congress: &ldquo;Speaking of Congress, in the last four by-elections, AAP supported Congress. We had an understanding. As Rahul Gandhi said, some BJP supporters within Congress are deciding to contest elections by breaking the alliance with us.&rdquo;
A senior Congress leader in Gujarat, speaking to Benefit News, stated, &ldquo;Congress is likely to announce its candidates in the next two days. There is no point of partnering with AAP. We are going to win these by-elections on our own. We have a strong support system in Kadi, Kalol, etc.&rdquo;
The by-elections in Gujarat form part of a broader schedule that includes Assembly bypolls in Nilambur (Kerala), Ludhiana West (Punjab), and Kaliganj (West Bengal).&nbsp;
Nilambur's seat became vacant following the resignation of Independent MLA P V Anvar. The Ludhiana West seat is going to polls following the death of Congress MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi.&nbsp;
In Kaliganj, a by-election has been necessitated by the demise of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed due to cardiac arrest in February.
The ECI has implemented several regulatory measures alongside the announcement. The Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in all districts where by-elections are scheduled.
New guidelines regarding the use of mobile phones at polling stations have also been issued. Voters will be required to deposit their mobile phones outside the polling booths in designated pigeonhole containers or jute bags, and the devices must remain switched off within a 100-metre radius of the polling station. Exceptions may be granted by the Returning Officer in special circumstances.
To uphold the secrecy of the ballot, the ECI has revised canvassing norms under Rule 49M of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961. In addition, candidates with criminal backgrounds are mandated to disclose their criminal records in newspapers and on television on three separate occasions during the campaign.&nbsp;
Political parties nominating such candidates must justify their selection within 48 hours through disclosures on their official websites, social media, and newspapers. These details will also be accessible to voters via the &lsquo;Know Your Candidate&rsquo; mobile application.
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By-elections for Gujarat's Kadi and Visavadar Assembly seats will be held on June 19, with results on June 23.

Kadi and Visavadar By-polls on June 19: EC

By-elections for Gujarat's Kadi and Visavadar Assembly seats will be held on June 19, with results on June 23.

May 25, 2025 | 17:17 IST

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