INDIA bloc celebrates bypoll boost, BJP reacts with ‘moral victory’ jibe

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 the other was won by an Independent candidate in Bihar.

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”.

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, 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.

STATE-WISE ELECTION RESULT
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 ON BYPOLL RESULTS
Bharatiya Janata Party, however, picked a hole in 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.