In Bengal’s Dhupguri, CPM and Congress have joined forces to take on Trinamool
New Delhi:
The results for bypolls to seven assembly seats in six states will be declared on Friday in what is being seen as a major test for the opposition alliance INDIA against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the polls in five states later this year and Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The seven seats that went to the polls earlier this month are Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura. The counting of votes began at 8 am.
Congress snatched an early lead over the BJP in the Bageshwar assembly bypoll, with its candidate Basant Kumar leading by 195 votes over the BJP’s Parvati Das in the initial round of counting on Thursday.
Opposition UDF candidate Chandy Oommen is leading in the initial rounds of counting in the Puthuppally assembly bypoll in Kerala’s Kottayam.
Son of late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, he has been far ahead of his nearest co-contestants.
The BJP on Friday morning was leading in both assembly seats in Tripura’s Sepahijala district where bypolls were held, according to the Election Commission.
After four rounds of counting, BJP’s Tafajjal Hossain was leading by 25,478 votes in the Boxanagar seat. CPI(M) candidate Mizan Hossain was at the second spot.
In the Dhanpur seat, BJP’s Bindu Debnath was ahead by 14,384 votes after four rounds of counting. CPI(M)’s Kaushik Chanda was trailing.
Among the seven seats, Dhanpur, Bageshwar and Dhupguri were held by the BJP. The seats in UP and Jharkhand were held by Samajwadi Party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, respectively. Tripura’s Boxanagar seat and Kerala’s Puthupally were with the CPM and the Congress, respectively.
The Ghosi seat was vacated after sitting legislator and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan rejoined the BJP. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party is now trying to retain control on Ghosi.
In Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar, the bypolls were held after the death of four-time MLA and cabinet minister Chandan Ram Das in April. Kerala’s Puthupally seat was vacated by the death of former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Oommen Chandy.
In Tripura, the CPM has announced that it will boycott the counting. It has alleged large-scale malpractice during voting in the two constituencies.
In West Bengal’s Dhupguri, the CPM and Congress have joined forces to take on the ruling Trinamool. Incidentally, all the three parties are part of the INDIA bloc.
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