New Delhi: In the recent by-elections held across 13 seats in seven states, the BJP faced significant setbacks, securing only two seats, including Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. The opposition parties, particularly Congress and TMC, made notable gains, winning 10 seats collectively, while an independent candidate won the Rupauli seat in Bihar.
Congress emerged victorious in four out of five contested seats in two states. TMC continued its stronghold in West Bengal by winning all four seats in the state. The Aam Aadmi Party secured a win in Punjab, while DMK claimed the Vikravandi seat in Tamil Nadu. The BJP’s overall tally was limited to two seats.
The by-election results have raised concerns for the BJP, as the party struggled to maintain its previous majority. In Bengal, the BJP lost all three seats it had won in the 2021 assembly elections. The loss of Ranaghat South, Bagda, and Raiganj was particularly notable, as these seats were vacated by BJP MLAs who had defected to TMC and subsequently won the by-elections under their new party.
In Bihar, both the JDU and RJD parties faced defeat in Rupauli, where independent candidate Shankar Singh emerged victorious. The NDA coalition’s performance was disappointing, with the BJP and its allies failing to make significant inroads. High-profile defections, such as Bima Bharti’s switch from JDU to RJD, did not yield the expected results, as she placed third in the Rupauli by-election.
The Congress and TMC have benefitted the most from these by-elections. Congress fielded candidates in eight out of 13 seats and won five of them. TMC’s dominance in Bengal remains unchallenged, as the party swept all four contested seats. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party managed to retain its seat in Punjab.
Defectors had a particularly tough time in these by-elections, with the exception of Bengal. In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP could win only one of the three seats contested due to the resignation of independent MLAs who had joined the party. Similar defeats were observed in Uttarakhand’s Badrinath and Punjab’s Jalandhar seats, where defectors could not secure victories.
Overall, the by-election results signal a challenging period ahead for the BJP, while the Congress and TMC celebrate significant gains, and independent candidates make surprising inroads in key constituencies.
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