The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday notified by-elections for six seats including three state assembly constituencies in Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and three Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal, with polling for the assembly seats decided for July 30 and July 24 for Rajya Sabha seats.The notification for the elections will be issued on Tuesday, while the last date for filing nominations is July 14. (iStock representative)Bankipur, Bihar fell vacant on March 30 this year after Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national president and five-time MLA Nitin Nabin, resigned following his election to the Rajya Sabha.Manjalpur, Gujarat fell vacant on June 2 this year after veteran legislator Yogeshbhai Narandas Patel died at 79 following prolonged illness. A legislator since 1990, first from Raopura, then Manjalpur, Patel won eight terms in all, and had served as the Assembly’s pro-tem Speaker in 2022 and as a minister of state (MoS).Madhya Pradesh’s Datia constituency fell vacant on April 2 after MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution, following his conviction in a bank case.Also Read: Why winner-takes-all politics can weaken democracyThe nominations of the elections will end on July 13, scrutiny will happen on July 14 and withdrawal by July 16. The polling will take place on July 30 with the results on August 3.West BengalThe bypolls are being necessitated following the resignation of the incumbent members, including Sushmitha Dev.Besides Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Bairak had tendered their resignation as MPs in the Upper House.Dev’s tenure was scheduled to end on April 2, 2030, while Ray’s on August 18, 2029, and Bairak’s on August 18, 2029.All three West Bengal exits came amid a wider TMC crisis, with 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs breaking away after the Assembly polls.