By-polling for 13 assembly constituencies across seven states began on Wednesday. Tension-filled Lok Sabha elections It will run from April to June, with voting opening at 7am and closing at 6pm.
Voting is taking place in Rupauli, Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagda and Maniktala (all in West Bengal), Vikravandi (Tamil Nadu), Amarwala (Madhya Pradesh), Badrinath and Manglaur (all in Uttarakhand), Jalandhar West (Punjab), Dera, Hamirpur and Nalagarh (all in Himachal Pradesh).
The voter turnout till 9 am was 9.23 per cent in Rupauli, 10.01 per cent in Raiganj, 11.58 per cent in Ranaghat Dakshin, 10.61 per cent in Bagda, 9.01 per cent in Maniktala, 12.94 per cent in Vikravandi, 16.90 per cent in Amarwala, 6.50 per cent in Badrinath, 8.58 per cent in Manglaur, 10.30 per cent in Jalandhar West, 15.70 per cent in Dera, 15.71 per cent in Hamirpur and 16.48 per cent in Nalagarh.
The by-poll was made necessary due to vacancies caused by the deaths of incumbent lawmakers and the resignation of lawmakers from various political parties. The votes will be counted on July 13.
The Indian Union is buoyed by its improved performance in the Lok Sabha elections and is looking to make the most of its gains, putting it in fierce conflict with the NDA.
West Bengal by-elections
In West Bengal, Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. The TMC is looking to capitalise on its improved performance in the Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP is looking to capitalise on the big lead it gained in four constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections.
In the 2021 state assembly elections, the TMC won the Maniktala seat while the BJP won Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagda, after which the BJP’s state legislators switched over to the TMC.
The Maniktala by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting TMC MP Sadan Pandey in February 2022.
The TMC has fielded Pandey’s wife Suputi from this seat. The ruling party has fielded Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj and Mukut Mani Adhikari from Ranaghat Dakshin.
In the Matua-dominated Bhadgarh constituency, the TMC has fielded Madhuparna Thakur, Matua Thakurbari member and daughter of the party’s Rajya Sabha member Mamatabala Thakur.
Kalyani, Adhikari and Biswajit Das had quit the BJP and subsequently contested the Lok Sabha elections as TMC candidates but lost.
The BJP has fielded All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey from Maniktala, Manoj Kumar Biswas from Ranaghat Dakshin, Vinay Kumar Biswas from Bagda and Manas Kumar Ghosh from Raiganj.
Himachal Pradesh by-elections
In Himachal Pradesh, by-elections are being held in three constituencies – Dera, Hamirpur and Nalagarh.
The seats fell vacant after three independent members — Hoshiyar Singh (Dera), Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) and KL Thakur (Nalagarh) — who had voted for the BJP in the February 27 Rajya Sabha elections, resigned from the House on March 22.
The BJP has fielded three former independents from their respective constituencies after they joined the party.
In Dehra, the Congress’ nominee is Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukh, who will face off against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hoshiyar Singh, one of nine state assembly members who voted against the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.
In Sukhu’s home district of Hamirpur, former independent lawmaker Ashish Sharma is facing off against Puspender Varma of the Indian National Congress.
Former independent K.L. Thakur is up against his old rival Hardeep Singh Bawa of the Indian National Congress in Nalagarh, in a three-way contest with the entry of BJP dissident Harpreet Saini, who is running as an independent.
Uttarakhand by-elections
by-elections for two seats in the Legislative Assembly; Badrinath and Manglais in progress.
Badrinath, one of 14 seats in the Pauri Garhwal assembly constituency, became vacant in March when Congress MP Rajendra Bhandari resigned to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party nominated Bhandari from Badrinath, while the Congress fielded former district council president Lakhpat Butla.
The by-election to Manglar constituency was necessitated by the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Sarwat Karim Ansari in October last year. The BJP has fielded Kartar Singh Bhadana from Manglar constituency, but the party has never won there since Uttarakhand’s independence in 2000.
The Congress Party has nominated its senior leader, Kazi Nizamuddin, to run for the seat, a Muslim-majority constituency, three times – in 2002, 2007 and 2017.
Tamil Nadu by-elections
of Vikravandi constituency by-elections The constituency became necessary following the death of sitting DMK MP N Pugazhenthy in April this year and it is set to be a three-way fight between the ruling DMK, Anbumani Ramdoss-led PMK, NDA constituents and the Nam Thamilal Katchi (NTK).
Meanwhile, the AIADMK has decided to boycott the Vikravandi by-election. The DMK has fielded Anniyul Siva for the by-election while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has nominated its party vice-president C Anbumani.
The Naam Thamilal Katchi (NTK), a pro-Tamil party that gained popularity after the Indian Lok Sabha elections, has fielded Dr Abhinaya. All three candidates belong to the OBC Vanniyar community.
The PMK and NTK believe that the Kallakurichi bar tragedy, in which over 50 people were killed, will work against the DMK. However, reports from the ground suggest that the political dynamics in Vikravandi, which is dominated by the Vanniyar tribe, may work in its favour.
Bihar by-elections
By-election to Rupauli This became necessary following the resignation of sitting JD(U) MP Bima Bharti, who switched to the RJD and lost her Lok Sabha elections from Purnia.
The RJD has fielded Bhima Bharti, a five-time MLA from Rupauli, while the JD(U) has fielded Kharadal mandal.
Both leaders belong to the Ganghota tribe, which constitutes the majority of the population of Rupauli parliamentary constituency.
Madhya Pradesh by-elections
a By-elections necessitated in Amarwala (ST) Assembly constituency Kamlesh Shah, the leader of the Indian National Congress Party representing the constituency, resigned from his post to join the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The by-election was a battle of prestige for the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party as the seat falls in the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency, considered a stronghold of Congress veteran Kamal Nath.
The BJP won the Chhindwara seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. However, despite returning to power, the party lost all seven constituencies in Chhindwara district in the 2023 state assembly elections.
The BJP has fielded Kamlesh Shah in this tribal-majority constituency, while the Indian National Congress has nominated Dheeran Shah Invati. The tribal organisation Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), which won the seat in 2003, is also contesting here, which could erode the vote share of both parties.
Punjab by-elections
of The Jalandhar West by-election has become a battle of prestige for the AAP.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was spearheading the party’s election campaign. The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of AAP lawmaker Sheetal Angral, who joined the BJP.
Bhagwant Mann, who is camping in Jalandhar and has also rented a house in the city, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory for his party candidate Mohinder Bhagat.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress, buoyed by winning seven of the 13 seats in the lower house of parliament, fielded five-time MP Surinder Kaul, while the Bharatiya Janata Party nominated former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sheetal Angral as its candidate.
(With inputs from PTI)
