Election Round-Up: Key By-Election Results Across Indian States Punjab: AAP Triumphs in By-Elections
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In the by-elections held on November 20, 2024, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious in three out of four assembly seats in Punjab, consolidating its political dominance. The Congress secured a single win.
Chabbewal: AAP's Dr. Ishank Kumar defeated Congress's Ranjit Kumar with a record-breaking margin of 28,690 votes, securing 60.9% of the vote share—the highest ever in the constituency.
Gidderbaha: Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon of AAP maintained a commanding lead over Amrita Warring of Congress, affirming AAP's stronghold.
Barnala: Congress's Kuldeep Singh Dhillon edged out AAP's Harinder Singh Dhaliwal by a narrow margin of 2,147 votes in a closely contested race.
Dera Baba Nanak: AAP’s Gurdeep Singh Randhawa faced stiff competition from Congress’s Jatinder Kaur Randhawa, indicating fierce rivalry.
These by-elections were necessitated by the election of sitting MLAs to the Lok Sabha. The voter turnout stood at 63.91%, with Gidderbaha recording the highest turnout at 81.90%.
Kerala: Political Fronts Hold Their Ground
Kerala’s bypolls across three seats unfolded as expected, with all major political fronts retaining their respective constituencies.
Wayanad (Lok Sabha): Priyanka Gandhi, making her electoral debut, won a historic victory with a massive margin of 4,10,931 votes. She expressed gratitude to her supporters and pledged to be their voice in Parliament.
Palakkad (Assembly): Rahul Mamkoothathil of the Congress won a triangular fight with a lead of 18,840 votes.
Chelakkara (Assembly): CPI-M’s U.R. Pradeep secured a comfortable win with a margin of 12,201 votes.
The BJP failed to win any seats but retained second place in Palakkad, albeit with reduced votes. CPI-M leaders celebrated their governance's stability, while Congress hailed the results as a vote against both BJP and CPI-M's administration.
Uttar Pradesh: BJP Dominates, SP Remains a Rival
The BJP retained its stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, winning six of the nine by-election seats, with its ally RLD taking one. The Samajwadi Party (SP) secured two seats but continues to face challenges from smaller parties.
Notable Results: BJP's Dharmraj Nishad and Shuchismita Maurya secured decisive victories in Katehari and Majhawan, respectively. In Katehari, Nishad won by 34,514 votes, while Maurya led Majhawan by 4,922 votes.
Karhal: SP’s Tej Pratap Singh won with a lead of 14,725 votes, keeping the party’s foothold alive.
BSP’s Struggles: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) consistently placed third, with reduced vote shares, overshadowed by the emergence of the Aazad Samaj Party-Kanshi Ram and AIMIM in some constituencies.
The BJP’s dominance reaffirms its electoral strategy under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Jharkhand: INDIA Bloc Reclaims Momentum
After a slow start, Chief Minister Hemant Soren's JMM-led INDIA alliance staged a comeback, leading in over 50 seats in the 81-member assembly. The BJP-led NDA initially held the lead but faltered as counting progressed.
The JMM contested 41 seats, with Congress and allies covering the rest. The BJP's earlier strength dwindled, signaling a shift in voter sentiment in Jharkhand.
Maharashtra: Mahayuti Secures a Landslide
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, including the Shiv Sena and NCP, secured a decisive victory in Maharashtra Assembly elections. As of late counting:
Mahayuti led in 230 of 288 seats, with the BJP alone winning six seats and leading in 129 others.
MVA’s Uddhav Thackeray questioned the reversal of voter sentiment following the Lok Sabha results but conceded the landslide.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders promised seamless government formation, while BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis emerged as a strong contender for the CM’s post
