By-Election Results 2024 Highlights: Priyanka Gandhi wins big in Wayanad; Trinamool and BJP shine in key bypolls

The BJP emerged victorious in five out of the seven seats in the Rajasthan Assembly bypolls, winning Jhunjhunu, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Salumber, and Ramgarh. Congress claimed the Dausa seat, while the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) secured Chorasi, as per the Election Commission (EC).

Here are the BJP candidates and their vote shares:

Rajendra Bhamboo won Jhunjhunu with 90,425 votes, defeating Congress’ Amit Ola by a margin of 42,848 votes.

Rajendra Gurjar triumphed in Deoli-Uniara, securing over 1 lakh votes, with a vote margin of 41,121 votes.

Rewant Ram Danga clinched Khinwsar with 1.08 lakh votes, winning by a margin of 13,901 votes.

Shanta Amrit Lal Meena won Salumber with 84,428 votes.

Sukhavant Singh took Ramgarh with 1,08,811 votes.

Of the seven seats contested in the bypolls, Congress held four, while the BJP, RLP, and BAP each won one seat.

In Kerala, Congress‘ Rahul Mamkootathil won the Palakkad seat with 18,840 more votes than BJP‘s C. Krishnakumar.

CPI(M) also had a win in Chelakkara, where U. R. Pradeep won the seat by 12,201 votes, keeping it in the party’s hands.

The Chelakkara bypoll was needed because the former MLA, K. Radhakrishnan, gave up the seat after winning the Alathur Lok Sabha election, where he defeated Congress MP Ramya Haridas.

In Bihar, bypolls were held for four assembly seats—Tarari, Imamganj, Belaganj, and Ramgarh—where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies emerged victorious across the board.

BJP candidates Vishal Prashant and Ashok Kumar Singh secured wins in the Tarari and Ramgarh constituencies, respectively. In Belaganj, the JD(U), an ally of the BJP, claimed victory as Manorama Devi defeated her closest rival, Vishwanath Kumar Singh of the RJD, by a margin of 21,391 votes, according to the Election Commission on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), another NDA partner, clinched the Imamganj seat, with Deepa Kumari, daughter-in-law of Jitan Ram Manjhi, leading the campaign.

Congress‘ C.P. Yogeshwara has won the Channapatna Assembly by-election in Karnataka by a decisive margin of 25,413 votes, defeating JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

In a significant victory for Meghalaya’s ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma, the chief minister’s wife, won the Gambegre constituency bypoll by a margin of 4,594 votes. She secured 12,678 votes, outpacing Sadhiarani M Sangma of the All India Trinamool Congress, who received 8,084 votes, and Congress’ Jingjang M Marak, who garnered 7,695 votes.

In her first electoral contest, Priyanka Gandhi surpassed her brother Rahul Gandhi‘s record of a 3.65 lakh vote margin in Wayanad, securing a remarkable 5.57 lakh votes. Communist Party of India’s Sathyan Mokeri trails by over 1.89 lakh votes, while BJP’s Navya Haridas stands third with 1.02 lakh votes.

BJP candidate Diganta Ghatowal has emerged victorious in the Behali assembly bypoll in Assam.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has secured victories in three Assembly seats in West Bengal—Sitai, Madarihat and Naihati—and is leading in the other three constituencies: Haroa, Medinipur, and Taldangra.

Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon, Congress leader, has won the Barnala assembly bypoll in Punjab. This victory adds to Congress’s position in the state as it seeks to maintain its influence in the region. The win is seen as a boost for the party’s presence in Punjab, which has been dealing with shifting political dynamics.

Aam Aadmi Party‘s (AAP) Dr. Ishank Kumar is leading in the Chabbewal assembly constituency with a margin of 28,690 votes. Speaking to the media, Dr. Kumar expressed confidence, saying, “We did a lot of hard work, and we are confident that the results will be good.” Sharing his plans post-victory, he added, “After we win, we will bring industries here, provide employment to youth, and construct a hospital.”

BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Soni is leading in Raipur City South by a margin of nearly 14,000 votes against Congress‘ Akash Sharma, following the completion of nine rounds of counting. The bypoll was triggered after sitting BJP legislator and former state minister Brijmohan Agrawal resigned due to his election to the Lok Sabha from the Raipur parliamentary constituency.

Congress candidate Gulabsinh Rajput is leading in the Vav assembly constituency by a margin of 12,407 votes over his nearest rival, BJP‘s Swarupji Thakor. This lead was established at the end of the tenth round of counting.

BJP candidates are leading in Tarari and Ramgarh constituencies, while the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) is leading in Imamganj, and Janata Dal (United) is ahead in Belaganj, according to the latest data from the Election Commission of India.

In Tarari, BJP’s Vishal Prashant holds a lead of over 10,000 votes. In Ramgarh, BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh is leading by 705 votes against his nearest rival, Satish Kumar Singh Yadav of the BSP, after seven rounds of counting.

BJP candidate Asha Nautiyal is leading in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath assembly bypoll with nearly 16,000 votes. Congress‘ Manoj Rawat is trailing closely, having secured 12,566 votes.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has taken a comfortable lead in five assembly seats: Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Phulpur and Majhawan. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party is leading in three constituencies: Karhal, Sishamau and Katehari.

In Rajasthan, bypolls were held for seven assembly seats: Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Chorasi, Salumber and Ramgarh. The latest trends show the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in three constituencies—Jhunjhunu, Deoli-Uniara, and Khinvsar. Congress is in the lead in Ramgarh and Dausa, while the Bharat Adivasi Party has taken the lead in Salumber and Chorasi.

BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan criticised Congress for seeking the support of the PFI (Popular Front of India) and SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) to win the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala’s Wayanad. He called these organisations “anti-national,” stating, “The reality is, whether you win or lose, you’ve aligned with groups that are anti-national because they are divisive and aim to create an India that fits into a deep-state plot,” as per ANI.

BJP and its allies are leading in all five assembly seats in Assam, including the Congress stronghold of Samaguri. The bypolls were held for the following seats: Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri. The results suggest a strong performance by the BJP-led alliance across the state.

In Punjab, bypolls were held for four assembly seats: Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha, and Barnala. The results so far show a split between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress.

AAP’s Dr. Ishank Kumar is leading from Chabbewal, while Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon holds the lead in Gidderbaha. On the other hand, Congress’ Kuldeep Singh is in the lead from Barnala, and Jatinder Kaur Randhawa is leading from Dera Baba Nanak.

Just after two hours of votes counting, Priyanka Gandhi who is contesting from the Wayanad, Kerala seat has secured over 1.2 lakh (1,21,476) votes. As of 10 am, she leads by 85,533 votes. CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri is trailing with 35,943 votes, while BJP‘s Navya Haridas holds the third position with 21,442 votes.

Byelections were conducted in five assembly seats in Assam—Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri and one in Meghalaya, Gambegre. The focus is on whether the BJP and its allies can retain the four seats they previously held in Assam.

Samaguri, a Muslim-majority constituency, remains a Congress stronghold and could be a critical battleground. Meanwhile, Gambegre in Meghalaya is expected to witness a close contest. NDTV’s Ratnadip delves into the dynamics, analyzing who holds the edge in these northeastern states.

The bypolls in Sikkim were conducted for two assembly seats: Namchi-Singhithang and Soreng-Chakung. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) fielded candidates for both constituencies. Satish Chandra Rai contested from Namchi-Singhithang, while Aditya Golay (Tamang) stood from Soreng-Chakung. Both candidates remained uncontested, ensuring an uncontested victory for the ruling party in these seats.

Priyanka Gandhi has a major spotlight as she makes her debut in the Kerala bypolls from the Wayanad Constituency. As per early trends, she is leading, with congress aiming to surpass the margin Rahul Gandhi secured in 2024.

The bypoll features a triangular contest, with CPI veteran Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas as her main challengers. So far, Ms. Gandhi has garnered 5,672 votes, while Mokeri trails with 1,298 votes. Navya Haridas holds the third position with 1,133 votes.