Images are used for illustrative purposes only. File photo | AP
NEW DELHI: By-elections to 13 state assembly constituencies will be held on Wednesday, setting the stage for a fresh showdown between the NDA and the opposition Indian Union in seven states.
The states going to vote are Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The election, which comes on the heels of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, is significant for both states. The results, which will be declared on July 13, will also be a prelude to crucial state elections scheduled for later this year.
The elections to four Assembly seats in West Bengal will be closely watched as three seats fell vacant after BJP MPs switched to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP will be looking to capitalise on its lead from the Lok Sabha elections in these three constituencies, while the TMC is clinging to its success in recent elections. The fourth seat fell vacant following the death of a sitting TMC MP.
In Himachal Pradesh, the stakes are high as elections are being held in three constituencies – Dera, Hamirpur and Nalagarh. This has become necessary as three independents have joined the BJP. The Indian National Congress has a majority of 38 members while the BJP has 27. In Dera, the Indian National Congress has pitted Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukh, against the BJP’s Hoshiar Singh. Singh has switched sides from the BJP.
The Vikravandi constituency in Tamil Nadu is also witnessing a fierce contest between the ruling DMK and NDA allies PMK and NTK.
Two seats in Uttarakhand — Mangla and Badrinath — are important for both the Indian National Congress and the BJP. The Badrinath seat fell vacant after an Indian National Congress member joined the BJP. The Indian National Congress fielded Kazi Nizamuddin from Mangla, a traditional Indian National Congress seat. In Bihar, the RJD and JD(U) are vying for power in Rupauli, while in Madhya Pradesh, the tribal-majority Amarwala constituency is contested between the Indian National Congress and the BJP.
