The by-polls were held in 10 states across India on Saturday, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, to decide the fate of 3 Lok Sabha and 33 Assembly seats. Overall, the voting percentage has been fairly decent with 87% polling in Tripura. In most places it was around the 50% mark.
By-elections are held for a seat that has gone vacant after the general or Lok Sabha elections held for that seat - the candidate may have passed away or may have resigned from the seat, and the seat cannot be left vacant until the next elections.
The three Lok Sabha by-polls were held in Vadodara (Gujarat), Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) and Medak (Telangana) as well as in 11 Assembly constituencies in UP, nine in Gujarat, four in Rajasthan, two in West Bengal, five in the three Northeastern states of Assam, Tripura and Sikkim, and one each in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
The stakes are high both for the BJP government and the opposition, as well the regional parties that are in power in the respective states.
Uttar Pradesh
Around 33.9% votes were polled in the by-elections for 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh till 1.00 pm today amid elaborate security arrangements. The final polling figure was an impressive 53%.
The by-election to 11 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat, was a game of high political stakes in Uttar Pradesh. BJP and its ally had virtually swept the Lok Sabha polls. So the pressure will be on the party to emulate the same feat to show that the Modi wave is still going strong. Other parties will also try to gain their political ground back after facing a virtual rout in the general elections.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
The by-election was held in Medak as the Lok Sabha seat was vacated by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao upon becoming chief minister of the newly-formed Telangana state. Winning the Medak Lok Sabha seat is critical for the TRS as it is not only a question of personal prestige for KCR, but will also be seen as an endorsement of his government's actions in the last 100-plus days. But the BJP is seeking to trounce the TRS saying the new state government has failed to keep even a single promise of those it made on the eve of the general elections in May. By-elections also took place in Nandigama of Andhra Pradesh. In total, 65% people exercised their democratic right to vote.
West Bengal
The fate of a total 14 candidates in the fray will be decided in the by-elections, nine in Kolkata's prestigious Chowringhee seat and five in the Basirhat Dakshin constituency in the North 24-Parganas district bordering Bangladesh. The Chowringhee seat was won by Sikha Mitra of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the 2011 Assembly elections, but after her resignation from the party, the by-elections became necessary. The TMC has fielded Nayna Bandyopadhyay, wife of party leader in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay, from the Chowringhee Assembly segment. The BJP has put up its state secretary and spokesman Ritesh Tiwari from the Chowringhee seat.
There was occasional reports of skirmishes with the BJP candidate from Chowringhee accusing TMC of manhandling him. But overall, voting concluded peacefully. However, the voting percentage dropped sharply in Bengal, which will be a cause of concern for all the parties.
Rajasthan
Twenty-three candidates, including four each from the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, are in the fray in Nasirabad (Ajmer), Weir (Bharatpur), Surajgarh (Jhunjhunu) and Kota South constituencies where 950 polling stations have been set up. Four BJP leaders were elected in the Lok Sabha elections, hence the by-polls. The major tussle is between BJP and Congress in the state. The ruling BJP will look to extend its golden run. It is to be seen if the lack of adequate representation from Rajasthan in the union cabinet has its effect on the final outcome. According to the EC nearly 66% people casted their vote.
Chhattisgarh
About 40% of the electorate cast their franchise on Saturday till 1 PM in the insurgency-hit Antagarh assembly seat of Chhattisgarh, where a gun-battle took place between ultras and security personnel in the Amabeda forests.
In the tribal-dominated seat of Antagarh assembly constituency, only two candidates, including one from the ruling BJP, are in the fray. For the first time in the state, Chhattisgarh will not witness any contest between the BJP and the Congress in the assembly poll as the main opposition's candidate surprisingly withdrew from the contest at the last moment. The by-poll is needed after the BJP candidate got elected to the Lok Sabha. Over 50% voted in the by-elections according to EC sources.
Tripura
Here, the Manu assembly seat went for the by-polls. Six candidates were in contention for the seat vacated after former forest and rural development minister Jitendra Chaudhary was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tripura East constituency. Chaudhury had won the seat five times on the CPM ticket. There was heavy voting with 87% casting their rights.
Assam
Altogether, 47% polling was recorded till 1 PM in the by-election to three Assam Assembly constituencies of Silchar, Lakhipur and Jamunamukh today to decide the fate of 25 contestants, the Election Office here said.
Three assembly seats, Silchar, Lakhipur and Jamunamukh went for the polls, after Congress legislator Sushmita Dev from Silchar and AIUDF leader Sirajuddin Ajmal from Jamunamukh seat were elected to the Lok Sabha. The Lakhipur seat was left vacant after the death of legislator Dinesh Prasad Goala. Around 70% cast their vote till the end of the day.
Gujarat
The Gujarat BJP on Saturday filed a complaint and sought action against Congress candidates from Maninagar and Anand assembly seats, where by-elections were underway, for alleged violation of the poll code. The candidates were wearing a scarf with Congress' election symbol on it when they went to vote, BJP state unit spokesperson Harshad Patel said.
By-polls will be conducted for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat after Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained the Varanasi seat. Moreover, by-polls for nine assembly seats - Deesa, Maninagar, Tankara, Khambalia, Mangrol, Talaja, Anand, Matar, Limkheda - will be also be conducted in the state. By-polls were necessitated on these seats as BJP MLAs gave their resignations after they won the Lok Sabha election of 2014. This is the first election in Gujarat in more than 12 years that BJP would be fighting without its star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 7% votes were cast in first two hours. BJP has accused Congress candidates of poll code violation and has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.
Sikkim
By-polls were held for the Rangang-Yangang assembly constituency after Chief Minister Pawan Chamling resigned from the seat and retained the Namchi-Singhithang after the April assembly polls. 32-year-old Kumari Manger is the contestant for the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) while the Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated 26-year-old Bikash Basnet.
Complete list of the By-poll elections
Three Lok Sabha seats:
Vadodara - Gujarat
Mainpuri - UP
Medak - Telangana
Assembly Seats
Uttar Pradesh - 11: Saharanpur, Nagar, Bijnor, Thakurdwara, Noida, Nighasan, Lucknow, East Hamirpur, Charkari, Sirathu, Balha, Rohaniya
Rajasthan - 4: Surajgarh, Weir, Nasirabad, Kota South
Gujarat - 9: Deesa, Maninagar, Tankara, Khambalia, Mangrol, Talaja, Anand, Matar, Limkheda
West Bengal - 2: Basirath, Dakshin, Chowrangee
Andhra Pradesh - 1: Nandigama
Sikkim - 1 Rangang: Yangang
Chhattisgarh - 1: Antagarh
Tripura - 1: Manu
With agency inputs
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