New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): The Election Commission on Friday announced that by-polls for the 64 assembly and one parliamentary seats in different states will be held around the same time with the Bihar Assembly polls, dates for which will be announced later. There is a vacancy of 27 seats in Madhya Pradesh assembly also, which means by-elections in the state will also take place around the same time with the Bihar Assembly polls.

The poll panel in a statement said that a meeting was held on Friday regarding holding of by-elections in different states.The Commission said there were 65 clear vacancies because of by-elections in Assembly or Parliamentary constituencies, out of which there are 64 vacancies in state assemblies and one in a Parliamentary constituency.

The Commission said it discussed the reports and inputs from Chief Secretaries or Chief Electoral officers of many of the concerned states seeking deferral of the by-elections in their states in view of several factors including the extra-ordinary heavy rains in some places and other constraints such as the pandemic etc. "Considering the General assembly elections in Bihar are also due and required to be completed before November 29, the Commission has decided to conduct all the 65 by-elections and General Assembly Election of Bihar around the same time," the Commission said.

It further said that one of the major factors for clubbing them together was the relative ease of movement of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), other law and order forces and related logistical issues. "Announcement of schedule of Bihar General Assembly election as well as these by-elections will be done by the Commission at an appropriate time," it added.

The Assembly elections for 243 Bihar Assembly seats are due this year. The NDA consisting of ruling Janata Dal-United, BJP, HAM-S and the LJP is pitted against the Grand Alliance comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, RLSP and others.