INDIA bloc’s first election test as voting under way in 6 states for 7 Assembly seats

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NEW DELHI: Voting for the byelections to the seven Assembly constituencies in six states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tripura, West Bengal and Jharkhand started on Tuesday at 7am.

This is the first election between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition bloc’s newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Voting is being held for Kerala’s Puthupally, Dhupguri seat in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, Dumri in Jharkhand and Uttarkhand’s Bageshwar, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.

The Election Commission will release the results on Friday.

Bypolls in five states were necessitated due to the deaths of the sitting MLAs, while the two other MLAs resigned from their posts.