Sitarganj bypoll on July 8, Uttarakhand CM likely to contest

New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) The bye-election for Sitarganj Assembly constituency in Uttarakhand, from where state chief minister Vijay Bahuguna is likely to contest, will be held on July 8, the Election Commission announced today. The vacancy has been created following the resignation of BJP MLA from Sitarganj, Kiran Mandal, who joined the Congress amid allegations of horse trading. Announcing the schedule, the EC said the notification for the bypoll would be issued on June 13, setting in motion the poll process and filing of nominations. While the last date of making nominations is June 20, scrutiny will be held the next day and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 23. Polling will be held from 8 AM to 5 PM on July 8, counting will take place on July 11 and the date before which the polling process shall be completed is July 13. The Commission said the Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district (s) in which the whole or any part of the Assembly Constituency going for bye-election is included, subject to partial modifications done by it. The electoral rolls of Sitarganj Assembly constituency have been revised with reference to January 1, 2012 as the qualifying date and have been published, it said. Following the vacancy created in the state Assembly from Sitarganj constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district, the chief minister had hinted at his possible candidature from there during a public meeting in Sitarganj last Sunday. Bahuguna, who is a Lok Sabha member from Tehri, is required to be elected as a state legislator before completion of six months in office for him to continue as the chief minister. He completes his six months in office on September 13, this year.