Bypolls: BJP wins big in UP; Trinamool sweeps Bengal

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party secured its hold over Uttar Pradesh with its candidates winning from two constituencies and leading in four of the nine seats that went to polls, while the Trinamool Congress maintained its foothold over West Bengal and the Congress in Karnataka, according to trends available on Saturday for bypolls to 46 assembly seats in 13 states.

In a boost to the Bhagwant Mann led government, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab won three seats while the Congress secured one of the four seats for which bypolls were held.

The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) in Rajasthan won the Chorasi seat and was leading in another while the BJP won Salumbar and was leading in three other seats. The Congress was ahead in one.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar swept the bypolls to four assembly segments, retaining Imamganj and wresting from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Tarari, Ramgarh and Belaganj, receiving a boost ahead of the assembly elections due next year.

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalya also got a boost as party candidate and chief minister's wife Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma won the Gambegre bypoll.

Bypolls were also held for two Lok Sabha seats in Kerala's Wayanad and Maharashtra's Nanded.

In Wayanad, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was ahead of her rival while in Nanded the BJP candidate was ahead.

In the bypolls to nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, which are being seen as a precursor to the 2027 assembly polls, the BJP won from two seats of Ghaziabad and Khair and was leading in Kundarki, Phulpur, Katehari and Majhawan seats. Its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal was leading in Meerapur.

The Samajwadi Party secured the Sishmau seat and was leading in Karhal.

As the results came in, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said it was a testament to the people's unwavering faith in the successful leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'The victory of the BJP-NDA in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly by-elections is a testament to the people's unwavering faith in the successful leadership and guidance of the esteemed Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji,' he said on X.

'This victory is the result of the security, good governance and public welfare policies of the double engine government and the tireless hard work of dedicated workers,' Adityanath said.

Election results were out for the four seats in Punjab where Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhillon won the Barnala assembly segment while AAP candidates won the three seats of Chabbewal, Dera Baba Nanak and Gidderbaha.

Reinforcing its hold over West Bengal which has been seeing prolonged protests over the RG Kar Medical College incident, the ruling TMC won four seats, wresting the key Madarihat seat from the BJP, and took unassailable leads in two others across all six assembly constituencies.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the results of the by-elections would help her work for the people.

'I would like to thank and congratulate the 'Maa, Mati and Manush' from the bottom of my heart. Your blessings will help us work for the people in the coming days. We all are common people and that is our identity. We are not zamindars, but the custodians of the people,' she posted on X.

According to the Election Commission, TMC has already won the Naihati, Sitai, Haroa and Madarihat seats, and was leading by big margins in Taldangra and Medinipur.

In Karnataka, the ruling Congress won the three seats of Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur.

Giving credit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's leadership as well as the five guarantees for the Congress party's success in the assembly bypolls, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said this victory was a prelude to the 2028 assembly election where the party would once again win.

In neighbouring Kerala, Congress-led United Democratic Front candidate Rahul Mamkootathil extended his lead by over 15,000 votes in Palakkad assembly bypoll while ruling Left Democratic Front candidate U R Pradeep won the Chelakkara seat.

Madhya Pradesh saw the Congress candidate leading by 4,747 votes in Vijaypur assembly seat, while the BJP candidate was ahead in Budhni constituency by 5,362 votes.

In Chhattisgarh, BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Soni was leading by 20,629 votes over his Congress rival Akash Sharma in Raipur City South assembly bypoll while in Gujarat, Congress candidate Gulabsinh Rajput widened his lead by 13,978 votes over his BJP rival Swarupji Thakor.

The assembly bypolls were held in nine seats in Uttar Pradesh, seven seats in Rajasthan, six seats in West Bengal, five seats in Assam, four seats each in Punjab and Bihar, three seats in Karnataka, two seats in Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.