The results of the bypolls held in five seats across four states – Gujarat, Punjab, Kerala and Bengal – will be announced today. The counting will begin at 8 am, with trends emerging soon after. The bypolls were held on June 19 for two seats in Gujarat – Visavadar and Kadi assembly seats – and one each in Punjab (Ludhiana West), Bengal (Kaliganj), and Kerala (Nilambur).
The bypolls, considered a precursor to Assembly elections slated in some of the above-mentioned states, are crucial as both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA alliance have fielded candidates.
GUJARAT BYPOLLS
The BJP is looking to take back the Visavadar assembly seat, which the party hasn’t won since 2007. The seat has been vacant since 2023 after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and went to the BJP’s side. For this bypoll, the BJP has picked Kirit Patel, while the Congress and AAP has fielded Nitin Ranpariya and its ex-Gujarat President Gopal Italia, respectively.
The Kadi seat, meanwhile, has been vacant since February owing to the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki. Coming under the Mehsana district, the constituency is reserved for Schedule Caste candidates. The BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from the constituency, while the Congress and the AAP opted for Ramesh Chavda and Jagdish Chavda, respectively.
KERALA BYPOLL
The Nilambur seat in Kerala is seen as a prestige battle for Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The seat falls within her Wayanad constituency, and she had held a roadshow in the region ahead of the June 19 bypolls. The bye-election had to be conducted in the constituency after the switching of two-time MLA OV Anvar – earlier backed by the Left – to the Congress party. He contested the bypoll as an Independent.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded M Swaraj for the crucial test, while the Congress-supported United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Aryadan Shoukath. The BJP has fielded Advocate Mohan George for the Nilambur seat.
BENGAL BYPOLL
In Bengal’s Kaliganj constituency, which falls under Nadia district, the bypoll was necessited due to the death of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. Now, his daughter, Alifa Ahamed, is hoping to retain the seat as the ruling party’s candidate. The BJP has fielded Ashis Ghosh for the seat, while the Congress picked Kabil Uddin Shaikh who contested with the backing of the CPI(M).
The Kaliganj bypoll is seen as a vital face-off between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool and the BJP ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, where the saffron party is hoping to dethrone the former.
PUNJAB BYPOLL
The Ludhiana West seat in Punjab fell vacant after sitting AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi died of a self-inflicted bullet injury in January. The AAP, which has been striving to retain power in Punjab since the brutal loss in the Delhi Assembly elections, will aim to retain the seat. The BJP, meanwhile, hopes to wrest the constituency.
The seat will see a three-way battle among AAP’s Sanjeev Arora, BJP’s Jeewan Gupta, and Congress veteran Bharat Bhushan Ashu. Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded Parupkar Singh Ghuman as its candidate for the bypoll.