By-elections in three Lok Sabha seats on March 11

NEW DELHI: By-elections to the Lok Sabha seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh and Araira in Bihar will be held on March 11, the Election Commission announced on Friday.nnPolling will also be held in the Jehanabad and Bhabua Assembly constituencies of Bihar the same day.nnThe poll panel said the vote count will take place on March 14.The elections in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha seats were necessitated after Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister while Phulpur MP Kehsav Prasad Maurya was appointed his deputy.nnAdityanath has represented Gorakhpur five times in the Lok Sabha from 1998. BJP insiders say Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan is keen on contesting from Gorakhpur.nnThe Araria seat fell vacant after the death of Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Taslimuddin in September 2017.The Jehanabad and Bhabhua constituencies fell vacant due to the death of BJP MLA Anand Bhushan Pandey (Bhabhua) and RJD MLA Mundrika Singh Yadav.nnThe BJP MLA passed away in November. Yadav, a former state Health Minister, succumbed to dengue a month earlier.nnThe Election Commission said the last date for filing nominations for all five seats is February 20 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 23. The model code of conduct will come into effect in the concerned districts with immediate effect.