Assembly bypoll results: INDIA vs NDA as counting underway
The results of the assembly bypolls held earlier this week are likely to be declared on Friday as the counting of votes for seven seats in six states is underway. The constituencies that went to bypolls are Uttar Pradesh's Ghosi, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Kerala's Puthuppally, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand's Dumri, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.
Why does this story matter?
The bypolls are being seen as a litmus test for the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) since these were the first elections since the formation of the opposition alliance. The results will set the stage for the upcoming assembly elections in five states later this year and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Who held the seats previously?
The counting began at 8:00am on Friday. Of the seven seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held three (Bageshwar, Dhanpur, and Dhupguri) while the Samajwadi Party (Ghosi), Communist Party of India-Marxist (Boxanagar), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Dumri), and Congress (Puthuppally) held one each.
BJP vs Congress vs SP in Bageshwar
The bypolls in Bageshwar, Boxanagar, Dhupguri, Dumri, and Puthuppally seats were necessitated due to the deaths of the sitting MLAs. In Puthuppally, the Congress has fielded the late Oommen Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen, against CPI(M)'s Jaick C. Thomas, while in Bageshwar, the BJP has fielded former MLA Chandan Ram Dass's wife, Parvati, against the Congress's Basant Kumar and the SP's Bhagawati Prasad.
Congress backed SP candidate in Ghosi
In Ghosi, sitting MLA Dara Singh Chauhan—elected on a Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket—resigned to join the BJP and is now contesting the seat as a BJP candidate against SP's Sudhakar Singh, backed by the Congress. The BJP fielded Tapasi Roy in Dhupguri against the Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s Nirmal Chandra Roy, while the CPI(M) fielded Ishwar Chandra Roy. Notably, TMC and CPI(M) are INDIA allies.
BJP vs CPI(M) in Tripura
In Dumri, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) fielded former sitting MLA Jagarnath Mahto's wife, Bebi Devi, supported by the INDIA, against the NDA's Yashoda Devi. In Dhanpur, the BJP's Pratima Bhoumik resigned to retain her Lok Sabha seat. The BJP fielded Bhoumik's brother, Bindu Debnath, against the CPI(M)'s Kaushik Chanda. The BJP fielded Tafajjal Hossain in Boxanagar against the CPI(M)'s Mizan Hossein.
