Seven bypolls in six states: Opposition INDIA bloc to face first electoral test today

Bypolls today: Polling will be held on Tuesday for by-election to seven Assembly seats in six states. The counting of votes will be held on September 8. This will be the first electoral test of the INDIA opposition bloc against the BJP.

Campaigning has been high-pitched as both sides are aware that it is a litmus test for the opposition unity and a victory could set the trend in their favour for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Bypolls in seven seats across six states

• Ghosi - Uttar Pradesh
• Dumri - Jharkhand
• Dhanpur and Boxanagar - Tripura 
• Bageshwar - Uttarakhand
• Dhupguri - West Bengal 
• Puthuppally - Kerala

While the opposition alliance is putting up a united front in Ghosi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand's Dumri, Dhanpur and Boxanagar in Tripura and Uttarakhand's Bageshwar, its constituents are contesting against each other in Dhupguri in West Bengal and Puthuppally in Kerala.

In Uttar Pradesh, Ghosi seat fell vacant after the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined the BJP. While the ruling BJP-led NDA has fielded Chauhan, Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh has got the support of the Congress and Left parties. Chauhan was a minister in the previous Yogi Adityanath government. He had resigned from the Council of Ministers on January 12, 2022 and switched to the SP.

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The Dhupguri assembly constituency in north Bengal is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the TMC, BJP and the Congress-supported CPI(M). While the TMC had won the seat in 2016, it was snatched by the BJP in 2021.

In Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly seats in Tripura's Sepahijala district, Chief Minister Manik Saha led the party's campaign from the front. Tipra Motha, the main opposition, and Congress have stayed away. The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Sunday urged people to vote for opposition bloc INDIA candidates in the two seats.

BJP's Tafajjal Hussain, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in February, will take on CPI(M)'s Mizan Hussain in minority-dominated Boxanagar constituency, still considered the Left party's stronghold.

Dhanpur, once a strong bastion of the communists, is heading for a direct fight between BJP's Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)'s Kaushik Debnath.

In Jharkhand's Dumri, INDIA bloc candidate Bebi Devi is locked in a direct contest with NDA candidate Yashoda Devi. The seat has turned out to be a prestigious one for both alliances amid Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) claiming that the INDIA bloc will begin its victory journey from Dumri, while the NDA exuded confidence that it is all set to snatch the seat from JMM. The by-election was necessitated following the death of JMM MLA Jagarnath Mahto, former education minister, in April. 

Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala

Congress and the ruling Left will take on each other at the Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala, with the opposition party in the state banking on "anti-incumbency" and the late Oommen Chandy's legacy. The Congress-led UDF opposition has fielded Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen, to benefit from the sympathy wave following the former CM's death.

On the other hand, the ruling Left once again decided to go with DYFI leader Jaick C Thomas who had unsuccessfully contested from the segment in 2016 and 2021 against the late Chandy. The BJP has fielded its Kottayam district president G Lijinlal.

Bageshwar - Uttarakhand

The BJP and the Congress are in a straight contest in Uttarakhand. The ruling BJP has fielded Parvati Das as it seeks to retain the seat. It was won by her husband Chandan Das in four consecutive elections since 2007 and his death necessitated the bypoll. Congress has fielded Basant Kumar.

The INDIA bloc includes 28 parties including the Congress, NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT), TMC, JMM, AAP, DMK, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, SP and RLD.

(With inputs from PTI)