INDIA Bloc Triumphs in Assembly Bypolls Across Seven States

Opposition Wins 10 Out of 13 Seats Across Seven States, Delivering Major Setback to BJP

In a notable triumph for the opposition, the INDIA bloc secured 10 out of 13 seats in the assembly bypolls held on Saturday across seven states. The BJP, which maintained control at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha election with the support of its NDA allies, encountered significant setbacks, winning only two seats. The bypolls took place in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu.

Opposition’s Resounding Victory

In a landslide victory in the assembly bypolls, the opposition INDIA bloc on Saturday bagged 10 out of 13 seats that went to polling across seven states. The BJP, which after the 2024 Lok Sabha election managed to retain power at the Centre with the help of its NDA allies, faced a major setback in the polls as it could pull off only two seats. The bypolls were held in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu.

In yet another boost for the opposition parties, the Congress-led INDIA bloc secured major wins in ten out of the 13 Assembly seats which went to bypolls in seven states of the country on July 10, the Election Commission of India (ECI) data showed on Saturday. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP managed to secure victories on only two seats, and one was won by an Independent candidate in Bihar.

Leaders’ Reactions

Congress on Saturday hailed the assembly bypoll results with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asserting it has become clear that the web of “fear and illusion” woven by the BJP has been broken.

“The people of India have saved the Constitution and democracy. The deprived and poor population of the country stood with India to protect their rights. Congratulations to all the alliance partners and the lion workers of Congress,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi. “The results of the by-elections in 7 states have made it clear that the web of ‘fear and confusion’ woven by the BJP has been broken. Every class including farmers, youth, labourers, businessmen, and employed people want to completely destroy dictatorship and establish the rule of justice,” he said in another post.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge praised party workers and said the victory shows that the people have completely rejected the “arrogance, misgovernance, and negative politics of the BJP”.

State-Wise Election Results

By-elections were held on Wednesday in a total of thirteen constituencies across seven states in India. These included four seats in West Bengal, three in Himachal Pradesh, two in Uttarakhand, and one each in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Several major parties of INDIA bloc, including Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and Trinamool Congress (TMC) had their candidates contesting in these polls.

The counting of votes began at 8 am today at key constituencies in West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Bihar.

In Uttarakhand, Congress’s Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin won the Manglaur seat for the fourth time, edging out BJP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana by a narrow margin of 422 votes.

The Trinamool Congress continued its winning streak from the recent Lok Sabha elections by sweeping the West Bengal bypolls, wresting Raiganj, Bagda, and Ranaghat Dakshin seats from the BJP, and securing a record victory margin in Maniktala.

In Punjab, Mohinder Bhagat of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the Jalandhar West seat by defeating BJP nominee Sheetal Angural by a margin of 37,325 votes.

In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK’s Anniyur Siva emerged victorious in the Vikravandi assembly constituency, defeating NDA constituent PMK’s Ambumani C by 67,757 votes.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP’s Kamlesh Pratap Shah won the Amarwara assembly seat by a margin of 3,027 votes against Congress’s Dheeran Sah Invati, while in Bihar, Independent candidate Shankar Singh won the Rupauli seat, defeating JD(U)’s Kaladhar Prasad Mandal by 8,246 votes.

The bypoll results ensured that for the first time in the electoral history of the state, a husband and wife — Sukhvinder Sukhu and Kamlesh Thakur — would be members of the Himachal Pradesh assembly.

BJP’s Response

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, picked a hole in the INDIA bloc’s euphoria, arguing that the ruling party did not even hold the 13 seats which went to bypolls. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said that all three seats that went to polls in Himachal Pradesh were earlier held by Independents, meanwhile in Uttarakhand, Congress held both seats. He also pointed out that the BJP this time won the seat earlier held by Congress.

“Let me kill the Opposition’s euphoria on the by-poll results. Of the 13 seats that went to poll, 9 were not held by the BJP! Himachal Pradesh – Independents held all 3 seats. Uttarakhand – Congress held both seats. Madhya Pradesh – BJP won the seat earlier held by Congress. Bengal – TMC held 1. But the elections were rigged, so makes no sense to deliberate. Punjab – AAP retained their seat. Tamil Nadu – DMK held the seat. Therefore, except Bengal, where elections were not free and fair, the results reflect status quo. But I.N.D.I Alliance can claim moral victory!” Malviya wrote in an X post.