Assembly bypolls: Congress, BJP bag two seats each; NC loses stronghold

Ruling parties lost four of the eight Assembly constituencies across five States and one Union Territory that went to byelection on November 11. The National Conference (NC) suffered a major setback in its stronghold in Jammu and Kashmir, while the Congress registered gains in Rajasthan and Telangana.

It was a surprise outcome in Budgam as the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) wrested the seat from the NC, marking the party’s first-ever defeat in the central Kashmir stronghold since Assembly elections began in 1957.

PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir defeated NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood by 4,478 votes. The seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated it last year, opting to retain Ganderbal.

The BJP secured a win in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nagrota constituency, where Devyani Rana defeated Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party’s Harsh Dev Singh by 24,647 votes. NC’s Shamim Begum lost her deposit, polling just 10,872 votes. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of Ms. Rana’s father and former MLA Devender Singh Rana.

In Mizoram, the Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) retained the Dampa seat, with R. Lalthangliana defeating Vanlalsailova of the ruling Zoram People’s Movement by 562 votes.

The Congress won two seats and the BJP one more, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also picked up a seat each in the bypolls held in Anta (Rajasthan), Ghatshila (Jharkhand), Jubilee Hills (Telangana), Tarn Taran (Punjab), and Nuapada (Odisha).

In Rajasthan’s Anta, Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya beat BJP’s Morpal Suman by 15,612 votes. The bypoll followed the disqualification of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena after his criminal conviction.

In Telangana, the Congress won the Jubilee Hills seat, where the party’s V. Naveen Yadav defeated Bharat Rashtra Samithi candidate Maganti Sunitha by 24,729 votes. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath.

The BJP registered a big victory in Odisha’s Nuapada, where its candidate Jay Dholakia defeated the Congress’ Ghasi Ram Majhi by 83,748 votes. Mr. Dholakia is the son of former BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death led to the bypoll.

The ruling AAP retained Punjab’s Tarn Taran seat with Harmeet Singh Sandhu defeating Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa by 12,091 votes. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal.

In Jharkhand’s Ghatshila constituency, JMM’s Soren beat BJP’s Babulal Soren by over 38,500 votes. The byelection was held following the death of JMM MLA Ramdas Soren.