BJP fails to counter united Opposition in UP, wins just two seats in bye-elections across 10 states
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said Kairana, Noorpur outcomes were the ‘beginning of the end of the arrogant rule’ of the BJP.
Votes were counted on Thursday for the bye-elections held on Monday in four Lok Sabha constituencies and nine Assembly seats across 10 states. Counting also took place for the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly seat in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru, where polling was deferred earlier this month after nearly 10,000 voter identity cards were confiscated from a flat.
The Lok Sabha seats where bye-elections were held on Monday are Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra, Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland’s sole parliamentary constituency. Assembly bye-elections were conducted in Gomia and Silli constituencies of Jharkhand, Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh, Shahkot in Punjab, Jokihat in Bihar, Chengannur in Kerala, Ampati in Meghalaya, Tharali in Uttarakhand, and Maheshtala in West Bengal.
Repolling was held at 73 booths in Kairana, 49 booths in Bhandara-Gondiya and one polling station in Nagaland on Wednesday following several complaints of faulty voter-verified paper audit trail machines during Monday’s bye-election.
Lok Sabha constituency | State | Winning party |
---|---|---|
Kairana | Uttar Pradesh | Rashtriya Lok Dal |
Palghar | Maharashtra | Bharatiya Janata Party |
Bhandara-Gondiya | Maharashtra | Nationalist Congress Party |
Nagaland | Nagaland | Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party |
Assembly constituency | State | Winning party |
Gomia | Jharkhand | Jharkhand Mukti Morcha |
Silli | Jharkhand | Jharkhand Mukti Morcha |
Jokihat | Bihar | Rashtriya Janata Dal |
Noorpur | Uttar Pradesh | Samajwadi Party |
Shahkot | Punjab | Congress |
Chengannur | Kerala | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Ampati | Meghalaya | Congress |
Tharali | Uttarakhand | Bharatiya Janata Party |
Maheshtala | West Bengal | Trinamool Congress |
Palus-Kadegaon* | Maharashtra | Congress |
9.28 pm: Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says the “death knell for the BJP has been sounded”, reports PTI. “The beginning of the end has started from Uttar Pradesh,” she tells reporters.
9.19 pm: Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Ahir, tells ANI that the BJP and the Shiv Sena have the same ideology. “We have an alliance with them and you can have some differences with your partners but that doesn’t mean we are quitting the alliance.”
8.40 pm: Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sukhpal Khaira says the party’s defeat in the Shahkot bye-poll in Punjab was “writing on the wall”. He says he and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann had suggested the party leadership not to contest the bye-election in Shahkot, PTI reports.
8.38 pm: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma says the reduced victory margin for Congress in Ampati constituency should be a matter of concern for the party, reports PTI. The margin came down from about 9,000 votes to just over 3,000 this time.
8.36 pm: Ashok Chavan says the Congress did not expect to lose the Palghar constituency. “If the united Opposition had fought together, the BJP could have been defeated,” he says. “If Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi and CPI(M) come with us in the future, we can win Palghar also.”
8.35 pm: Union minister Hansraj Ahir says the BJP and the Shiv Sena have the same ideology and having differences with each other does not mean they will part ways. “We did fight an election against them [in Palghar],” Ahir tells ANI. “We have an alliance with them & you can have some differences with your partners but that doesn’t mean we are quitting the alliance.”
8.07 pm: Former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan says that the Shiv Sena should leave the ruling coalition in the state if party chief Uddhav Thackeray has “even a little self-respect left in him”, ANI reports. “You want to stay in power also, and you want to show support to opposition also,” Chavan says. “What exactly is their intention?”
7.29 pm: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says his party is ready to hold talks with Shiv Sena, which hit out at the BJP for its losses in the bye-polls. “We are not against BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and nor do we believe that our alliance will break, but effort has to be from both ways,” he says, according to ANI.
7.27 pm: The Congress candidate in Palghar, Damodar Shingda, will lose his security deposit as he failed to get the minimum 6% of the total votes cast, PTI reports.
7.26 pm: Nationalist Congress Party’s Madhukar Kukade defeats Hemant Patle of BJP by 48,097 votes in Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bye-election in Maharashtra, reports PTI.
7.11 pm: BJP’s ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party wins the bye-election in Nagaland, reports PTI.
6.19 pm: Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Tabassum Hasan wins Kairana Lok Sabha bye-election by 44,618 votes, reports PTI. The BJP’s candidate, Mriganka Singh, had conceded defeat earlier in the afternoon.
6.02 pm: Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel asks Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to end the alliance with the BJP, reports ANI. “Uddhav Thackeray is right, but no one will believe him till the time he is supporting the BJP,” he says.
5.57 pm: We respect the Shiv Sena and we respect their freedom of speech, but we should not question the Election Commission’s fairness, says Patra.
5.55 pm: BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra says the party will review its performance in the bye-elections. Its performance in Maheshtala bye-poll in West Bengal is positive news, Patra adds. The BJP’s Sujit Kumar Ghosh finished second in the election behind Trinamool’s Dulal Das.
5.47 pm: The Election Commission has rejected the Shiv Sena’s demand to not announce Palghar by-election result, reports ANI.
5.34 pm: Uddhav Thackeray says that if needed the party would move court.
5.29 pm: The Shiv Sena has written to the Election Commission, asking the chief election commissioner to withhold the results of Palghar bye-elections till recounting is completed, reports The Indian Express.
5.25 pm: Thackeray lashes out at the Election Commission. “Seeing the corruption in Election Commission, I would suggest that even election commissioners should not be appointed, but elected,” ANI quotes him as saying.
5.23 pm: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray demands recounting in Palghar, which BJP’s Rajendra Gavit won by 29,572 votes.
5.19 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh says the BJP’s poor performance in the bye-elections is a clear sign of the nation’s mood ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, News 18 reports. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not come back to power, it will be the Congress which will form the next government in the country,” he says.
4.20 pm: “They used all their money and all their power, but could not get a victory,” says Tejashwi Yadav.
3.50 pm: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh says one has to take two steps back in order to take a giant leap.
3.46 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says the bye-polls results reflects the anger against the Modi government. “Until now people were asking what is the option,” Kejriwal tweets. “Today, people are saying Modiji in not an alternative. Remove him first.”
3.43 pm: TMC candidate Dulal Das wins Maheshtala Assembly seat in West Bengal by a margin of 62,827 votes. BJP’s Sujit Kumar Ghosh finishes second.
3.30 pm: “I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us,” says Akhilesh Yadav. “This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP.”
3.15 pm: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav says Kairana, Noorpur outcomes is the “beginning of the end of the arrogant rule”.
2.58 pm: Celebrations outside NCP office in Maharashtra after the party wins the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat.
2.47 pm: The BJP’s candidate in Kairana, Mriganka Singh, concedes defeat.
2.40 pm: NCP-Congress candidate Madhukar Kukde is leading with 19,992 votes after 11th round of counting in Maharashtra’s Bhandara-Gondia seat.
2.22 pm: JMM wins Silli and Gomia Assembly seats in Jharkhand, the Hindustan Times reports quoting Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte.
2.15 pm: BJP’s candidate Rajendra Gavit wins Maharashtra’s Palghar Lok Sabha seat, reports The Indian Express. He won by a margin of 29,572 votes.
1.55 pm: “Would like to thank all parties who supported us,” says RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary.
1.48 pm: NCP is leading by 20,583 votes in Maharashtra’s Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat, reports ANI.
1.47 pm: Congress wins Shahkot Assembly seat in Punjab. Hardev Singh Ladi defeats Shiromani Akali Dal nominee Naib Singh Kohar by over 38,000 votes.
1.42 pm: BJP’s Munna Devi Shah wins Tharali Assembly seat in Uttarakhand, reports ANI.
1.34 pm: Celebrations begin outside Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow.
1.20 pm: The Left Democratic Front retains the Chengannur Assembly constituency in Kerala’s Alappuzha district. The front’s CPI(M) candidate Saji Cherian defeats United Democratic Front’s Congress candidate D Vijayakumar by a margin of 20,956 votes. National Democratic Alliance’s BJP candidate PS Sreedharan Pillai finishes third with 35,270 votes.
“This victory is an endorsement for the Pinarayi Vijayan government,” Cherian tells Scroll.in. “I got votes from all sections of the society.”
1.10 pm: RJD wins Bihar’s Jokihat Assembly seat, reports NDTV. “The number of votes JDU got, is less than our victory margin,” Tejashwi Yadav tells ANI. “People of Bihar are continuing to avenge the u-turn taken by Nitish Kumar.”
12.56 pm: In Jharkhand, JMM candidates Seema Mahto is leading by 10,221 votes in Silli and Babita Mahto is ahead by 11,222 votes in Gomia.
12.52 pm: Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia is leading by around 34,000 votes after 15th round of counting in Punjab. Two rounds of counting to go, reports Hindustan Times.
12.50 pm: Congress candidate Muniratna wins Karnataka’s RR Nagar Assembly seat by 41,162 votes.
12.49 pm: “Many EVMs were faulty, names of about 5,000-6,000 people were missing from voter list,” Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut tells ANI.
12.46 pm: Samajwadi Party candidate Naim Ul Hasan wins Uttar Pradesh’s Noorpur Assembly seat, reports NDTV. Hasan won by a margin of 6,211 votes.
12.29 pm: BJP ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party is ahead of Naga People’s Front by 34,669 votes.
12.20 pm: In Maharashtra’s Palghar Lok Sabha seat, BJP’s Gavit Rajendra Dhedya is leading by 22,000 votes.
12.15 pm: After 17 rounds of counting for West Bengal’s Maheshtala Assembly seat, TMC candidate wins 89,318 votes, BJP 33,737 and the Left nominee 25,362 votes.
12.10 pm: “We won the RR Nagar seat with huge margin, the people of Bengaluru have blessed us,” Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao tells ANI.
12.03 pm: Akali Dal candidate Naib Singh leaves the counting centre in Punjab, alleges booth capturing and tampering in EVMs, reports Hindustan Times. AAP nominee Rattan Singh also walks out. The Congress is leading.
12.03 pm: BJP ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party leads over Naga People’s Front by over 14,000 votes.
11.58 am: BJP leads by 1,061 votes in Uttarakhand’s Tharali Assembly seat.
11.54 am: JMM leading in both Jharkhand Assembly seats of Silli and Gomia, reports Hindustan Times.
11.50 am: In UP’s Noorpur Assembly seat, Samajwadi Party is leading by 10,208 votes after 20th round of counting.
11.46 am: BJP leads by five votes in Maharashtra’s Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat after ninth round.
11.45 am: Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia is leading by around 24,000 votes after 10th round in Punjab’s Shahkot Assembly seat, reports Hindustan Times.
11.43 am: After 13th round of counting for Kairana Lok Sabha seat, RLD’s Tabassum Hasan is leading by 41,391 votes over BJP’s Mriganka Singh.
11.42 am: CPI(M) maintains its lead in Kerala’s Chengannur Assembly seat.
11.40 am: In Maharashtra’s Palghar Lok Sabha seat, BJP candidate Gavit Rajendra Dhedya is leading by 19,742 votes after 12th round of counting, reports ANI.
11.38 am: Congress workers celebrate in Karnataka. Party candidate Muniratna is leading with 46,593 votes after 12th round of counting.
11.33 am: RLD’s Tabassum Hasan leading by over 26,925 votes after ninth round of counting in Kairana Lok Sabha seat.
11.30 am: JMM leads in Jharkhand’s Silli Assembly seat.
11.28 am: BJP’s Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leads by 17,843 votes against Shiv Sena’s Shrinivas Chintaman Vanaga in Maharashtra’s Palghar Lok Sabha seat after ninth round of counting.
11.23 am: Congress candidate Muniratna leads with 46,218 votes from Karnataka’s RR Nagar Assembly seat after 10th round of counting.
11.19 am: Congress’ Miani D Shira wins Meghalaya’s Ampati Assembly seat.
11.18 am: RJD leads in BNihar’s Jokihat Assembly seat after 14th round of counting, reports ANI. The bye-poll here is seen as a prestige battle for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
11.16 am: RLD’s Tabassum Hasan says her lead in Kairana Lok Sabha bye-polls is a victory of truth. “The path for united opposition is clear in 2019,” she adds.
11.12 am: BJP’s Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leads by 17,417 votes in Maharashtra’s Palghar Lok Sabha seat.
10.59 am: CPI(M) leads by 9,359 votes from Kerala’s Chengannur Assembly seat, reports ANI.
10.57 am: Congress is leading in Meghalaya’s Ampati Assembly constituency.
10.57 am: Samajwadi Party ahead in Noorpur Assembly seat after 14th round of counting.
10.56 am: TMC’s Dulal Chandra Das is ahead of the BJP candidate by over 32,000 votes in Maheshtala Assembly seat after 10th round of counting.
10.55 am: The Nationalist Congress Party leads from Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra after fourth round of counting.
10.53 am: Congress candidate Muniratna leads by around 44,000 votes from Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly seat in Karnataka after the ninth round of counting, according to ANI.
10.47 am: RLD’s Tabassum Hasan leads by over 16,000 votes over BJP’s Mriganka Singh in Kairana Lok Sabha seat, reports ANI.
10.45 am: Congress candidates leads by 18,000 votes from Shahkot Assembly seat after eighth round of counting.
10.40 am: BJP leading in Jharkhand’s Gomia Assembly seat by 7,174 votes after the sixth round of counting, reports ANI.
10.38 am: BJP’s Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leads from Palghar Lok Sabha seat by over 14,000 votes.
10.34 am: Congress candidate in Karnataka’s RR Nagar Assembly seat leads by around 32,000 votes after sixth round of counting, according to ANI.
10.27 am: CPI(M) candidate Saji Cherian has a lead margin of 5,000 votes in Kerala’s Chenganur Assembly seat.
10.21 am: BJP leads by over 1,100 votes against Congress in Tharali bypoll in Uttarakhand.
10.18 am: The Janata Dal (United) leads in Jokihat Assembly seat in Bihar. Party candidate Murshid Alam is leading by over 33,500 votes, reports Hindustan Times.
10.10 am: The Trinamool Congress is ahead in Maheshtala Assembly seat in West Bengal by 21,178 votes after the seventh round of voting.
10.07 am: Seema Mahto of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leads in Jharkhand’s Silli Assembly seat while BJP candidate Madhavlal Singh is ahead in Gomia constituency.
10.06 am: NCP candidate leads in Maharashtra’s Bhandara-Gondiya seat by 3,100 votes, reports ANI. In the Palgar Lok Sabha seat, BJP’s Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leads by over 6,000 votes.
9.52 am: Samajwadi Party’s Naimul Hasan leads in Noorpur Assembly seat after the seventh round of counting.
9.41 am: The Bharatiya Janata Party is leading by 339 votes from Uttarakhand’s Tharali Assembly seat.
9.30 am: After third round of counting, Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Tabassum Hasan leads by over 3,000 votes in Kairana.
9.17 am: Early trends indicate the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is leading in Kerala’s Chengannur Assembly seat.
9.03 am: Early trends show Congress candidate and incumbent MLA Muniratna leading in Karnataka’s RR Nagar constituency by 8,680 votes, ANI reports.
8.50 am: Congress candidate Laddi Sherowalia leads by around 2,000 votes after first round of counting for Punjab’s Shahkot Assembly seat.
8.09 am: Counting of votes begins for four Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly seats.