Ranchi, Sep 29 (IANS): The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that the bypolls to the Assembly seats of Dumka and Bermo in Jharkhand would be held on November 3.

Counting of votes will be taken up on November 10.

While the JMM will fight the Dumka seat, its ally Congress will field a candidate from Bermo. The opposition BJP is likely to field candidates on both seats.

The Dumka seat was vacated by Chief Minister Hemant Soren after he won the 2019 Assembly elections from Dumka and Barhet. The Bermo seat fell vacant due to the death of Congress legislator Rajendra Singh.

The bypoll outcome could reflect public sentiments about the Soren-led alliance government in power in Jharkhand. Soren became the Chief Minister on December 29 last year.

The bypoll in Dumka will be interesting as both the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Bharatiya Janata Party have won it in the past. Soren had defeated then Minister Louis Marandi in the 2019 Assembly polls whereas Marandi had defeated Soren in the 2014 poll battle.

Soren had lost in Dumka in 2014 even though he was the Chief Minister.

"We are ready for the by-election. We will certainly win both the seats," BJP leader Rabi Bhatt said.