Friday, August 18 2006 12:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: By-elections to Katwa, Malda and Purulia Lok Sabha and Bongaon Assembly constituencies in West Bengal will be held on September 16, the Election Commission yesterday (Aug 17, 2006) announced.

The notification will be issued on August 23 and the last date for nominations is August 30. Scrutiny will take place on August 31 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is September two.

While polling will take place on September 16, counting will be held on September 19.

There are 17 vacancies in the Lok Sabha from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar and a dozen vacancies in the Assemblies in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and West Bengal, but the by-poll will be held only in three Lok Sabha constituencies and one Assembly constituency in West Bengal.

The EC has decided to hold the by-elections in different phases, an EC press release said, adding that the model code of conduct shall come into force from yesterday.