The legislature of Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Saturday accepted the resignations of over 400 lawmakers for their involvement in electoral fraud, the first case discovered at the provincial level since 1949.

The 12th Liaoning Provincial People's Congress said aside from the removal of 454 lawmakers, including Li Feng, former deputy head of the standing committee of the congress, 452 deputies from the standing committees of 14 cities resigned, leaving only 147 lawmakers, the People's Daily reported on Sunday.

At least six deputy provincial-level and several department-level officials, as well as dozens of entrepreneurs were among those expelled, the People's Daily said.

It is the first electoral fraud case investigated at the provincial level since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the provincial people's congress said in a statement, adding that the massive violations severely jeopardized the electoral system within the Party and the people's congress.

Since over half of the 62 members on the standing committee of Liaoning Provincial People's Congress were involved in the electoral fraud, the National People's Congress formed a temporary group to carry out the duties on behalf of the provincial standing committee.

A by-election will be held during the 7th session of the provincial people's congress on November 1.