Ten days after Nationalist Congress Party MP from Satara Udayanraje Bhonsle resigned and joined the BJP, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that the by-poll for the Lok Sabha seat would be held on October 21, along with Maharashtra Assembly election.
Like the Assembly election, the schedule for which was announced on September 21, counting of votes for the Satara by-poll would be on October 24, according to the ECI’s schedule.
An ECI spokesperson said the Commission took the decision to hold the by-poll after receiving a copy on Monday of a Bombay High Court order dismissing an election petition filed regarding the Satara Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Bhonsle, a descendant of the Maratha ruler Shivaji, had submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and then joined the BJP here in the presence of party president and Home Minister Amit Shah, working president J.P. Nadda and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Septmeber 14.
The ECI said the notification for the by-poll would be issued on September 27. The last date for nominations would be October 4 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature would be October 7.