The Election Commission on Friday announced that the bye-polls for the constituencies of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh will be held on March 11, PTI reported. The seats fell vacant after Adityanath took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Keshav Maurya as his deputy.

The poll panel will also conduct the bye-poll in Bihar’s Araria, which fell vacant following the death of Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammed Taslimuddin. The Araria bye-poll will also be conducted on March 11.

The votes will be counted on March 14. The notification for the bye-elections will be issued on February 13. Candidates can also file their notification papers from that date.

The bye-polls in both states gain significance as they will be considered tests for chief ministers Adityanath and Nitish Kumar. In Bihar, the seat will also be crucial to determine RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s popularity following his conviction in the fodder scam cases.