The bypoll results for 13 assembly seats across seven states, announced on Saturday, have sparked significant interest as the first major test for the ruling NDA and the opposition India Alliance following the general elections. The counting began at 8 am, and the emerging pattern indicates a strong performance by the India Alliance, leading in 11 out of the 13 seats, with the NDA holding leads in only two.
By-elections were held on July 10 for four seats in West Bengal, three in Himachal Pradesh, two in Uttarakhand, and one each in Punjab, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh. The India Alliance governs four of these states, while the NDA controls the remaining three.
Here are the key results so far:
- Punjab: Aam Aadmi Party candidate Mohinder Bhagat secured a decisive victory in Jalandhar, defeating BJP’s Sheetal by a substantial margin of 37,000 votes.
- West Bengal: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) demonstrated strong performance with wins in three of the four contested seats—Maniktala, Baghda, and Ranaghat Dakshin—while maintaining a lead in Raiganj.
- Himachal Pradesh: Congress candidate Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, triumphed in Dehra with a 9,000-vote lead over her nearest BJP rival. Additionally, Congress is leading in Nalagad, while BJP’s Ashish Sharma has secured a win in Hamirpur.
- Uttarakhand: Congress candidates are leading in both Badrinath and Mangalore seats.
- Madhya Pradesh: Congress candidate Dheeran Shah is ahead in the Amarwada seat.
- Bihar: JDU candidate is leading in the Rupauli seat.
- Tamil Nadu: DMK leader Anniyur Shiva is at the forefront in Vikravandi.
These bypoll results highlight a strong showing for the India Alliance, indicating a potential shift in political dynamics as they gain ground in several key states. The political landscape is poised for interesting developments as both alliances analyze these outcomes and strategize for the future.
