NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday lifted the model code of conduct from Bihar, six states and one union territory following the conduct of Assembly polls and by-elections in respective states/UT.
The Election Commission wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, and the Chief Secretaries of the respective states to inform them about the development.
In the letter, under Secretary ECI, Prafull Awasthi stated, “I am directed to state that the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct are enforced from the date of announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission and remain in operation till the completion of the election process.”
“The results in respect of General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2025 and Bye-elections in Assembly Constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir (27-Budgam AC & 77-Nagrota AC), Rajasthan (193-Anta AC), Jharkhand (45-Ghatsila (ST) AC), Telangana (61-Jubilee Hills AC), Punjab (21-Tarn Taran AC), Mizoram (2-Dampa(ST) AC) and Odisha (71-Nuapada AC) have been declared by the concerned Returning Officers, the Model Code of Conduct has ceased to be in operation with immediate effect, ” the Election Commission said.
The model code of conduct came into force after the poll body announced the schedule for the Bihar Assembly polls and by-elections in eight Assembly seats across seven states and one UT.
Meanwhile, following the NDA’s sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, hectic political activity has begun around the formation of the new government in the state.
Assembly by-elections were held on eight seats spread in six states –Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Mizoram -- and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, on November 11.
The Congress registered two significant victories in Rajasthan and Telangana.
In Rajasthan’s Anta constituency, Pramod Jain Bhaya defeated the BJP’s Morpall Suman.
In Telangana’s Jubilee Hills, Congress candidate V. Naveen Yadav wrested the seat from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) nominee Maganti Sunitha.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Nagrota, BJP candidate Devyani Rana secured a win, while in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious, with Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeating his nearest National Conference rival Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosavi.
In Odisha’s Nuapada, BJP’s Jay Dholakia defeated Congress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi.
In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) retained its hold on the Dampa seat, where Dr R. Lalthangliana won by a narrow margin of 562 votes.
In Punjab, the AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu retained the Tarn Taran Assembly seat, defeating his nearest rival, Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
In Jharkhand’s Ghatshila, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Somesh Chandra Soren secured a dominant victory, defeating the BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former Chief Minister Champai Soren.