By-poll Election Results 2024: Priyanka Gandhi Leads By Over 3.5 Lakh Margin In Poll Debut

 The ruling NDA in Bihar on Saturday swept the bypolls to four assembly segments, retaining Imamganj and wresting from the INDIA bloc Tarari, Ramgarh and Belaganj, receiving a boost ahead of assembly elections due next year.

Candidates of the Jan Suraaj, floated recently by former political strategist Prashant Kishor with much fanfare, lost deposits in all but one seat, in a clear indication that the fledgling party needs to cover much ground.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, whose party has now lost the status of the single largest party in the assembly, made light of the debacle and claimed that the Mahagathbandhan, the INDIA bloc's Bihar prototype, was all set to win the 2025 assembly elections.

The biggest setback for the RJD came in Belaganj, a seat it had been winning since the 1990s, but lost to the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the arch-rival of its founding president Lalu Prasad.JD(U) candidate Manorama Devi, a former MLC, defeated by more than 21,000 votes RJD's Vishwanath Kumar Singh, who made his debut from a seat that fell vacant upon election to Lok Sabha of his father Surendra Prasad Yadav, a multiple term MLA.

The margin of victory was greater than the 17,285 votes polled by Mohd Amjad of Jan Suraaj.

Kishor, who addressed a press conference after the results were out, claimed, "Booth-wise analysis shows that Muslims in Belaganj voted mostly for the JD(U), its alliance with the BJP notwithstanding." JD(U) national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, "The people of Bihar deserve kudos for rejecting the negativity of the opposition and reposing their trust in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Under his leadership, the NDA will win more than 200 seats of the 243-strong assembly in 2025." However, Kishor was of the view that the longest-serving CM was "not a factor any more", and his party's candidate won her seat on her own steam.

Kishor, however, said that NDA's ability to surmount the incumbency factor was "a matter of concern".

The RJD also suffered an embarrassing defeat in Ramgarh, where Kishor's prediction of the party finishing third or fourth came true.

The forecast had caused Sudhakar Singh, son of state RJD president Jagadanand Singh, the MP from Buxar who had won the assembly seat in 2020, to threaten that Jan Suraaj cadres in the constituency would be beaten up with sticks.

Singh's younger brother Ajit finished a distant third after BJP winner Ashok Kumar Singh, a former MLA, and Satish Kumar Singh Yadav of the BSP, a party with little foothold in Bihar.

Jan Suraaj candidate Sushil Kumar Singh polled less than four per cent votes.

BSP's electoral slide continued in Uttar Pradesh, with the party failing to open its account in the bypolls. BSP candidates were pushed to the third spot in seven seats while in two seats, they finished a dismal fifth, below even Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and AIMIM candidates.

The party's poor show opened it to the charge of being a "vote katva" -- a term meant to accuse the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of cutting into votes of Samajwadi Party, especially in Katehari and Phulpur, in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Accusing the BSP of reducing his party's votes in the bypolls, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Deepak Ranjan told PTI that the BSP has been acting as the "B-team of the BJP".

"The BSP fielded its candidates in the bypolls to benefit the BJP," he said.

The Mayawati-led party posted its best show in Katehari, where its candidate Amit Verma got 41,647 votes to emerge third. SP leaders alleged that the BSP helped BJP's Dharmraj Nishad win the seat by cutting into the votes of SP's Shobhawati Verma who lost the elections by 34,514 votes.

The BSP has promptly rejected the charge.

The BSP's worst show was in Kundarki, where the party's candidate Rafatulla polled a meagre 1,099 votes. Ramveer Singh of the BJP won the Kundarki assembly seat defeating SP's Mohammad Rizwan by a massive 1,44,791 votes.

Ramveer Singh received 1,70,371 votes against Mohammad Rizwan's 25,580 votes.

In Phulpur, SP candidate Mohammad Mujtaba Siddiqui lost to BJP's Deepak Patel by a margin of 11,305 votes. BSP's Jitendra Kumar Singh got 20,342 votes in the bypoll.

In Meerapur, BSP candidate Shahnazar got 3,248 votes and stood fifth. Here, RLD's Mithilesh Pal won with 84,304 votes defeating her nearest rival SP's Sumbul Rana by 30,796 votes. Zahid Hussain of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) stood in third place securing 22,661 votes, followed by the AIMIM's Mohd Arshad (18,869 votes).

BSP candidate in Ghaziabad Parmanand Garg stood third, polling 10,736 votes. In the Khair (SC) seat, party candidate Pahal Singh got 13,365 votes finishing third while in the Karhal seat, too, Avinash Kumar Shakya stood in third place with 8,409. In Sishamau, BSP's Virender Kumar stood third spot winning merely 1,410 votes while in the Majhawan seat, BSP candidate Deepak Tiwari polled 34,927 votes to emerge third.

BSP's UP unit chief Vishwanath Pal on Saturday told PTI: "We accept the people's verdict. We will examine shortcomings and seek people's feedback on how to overcome them." Pal however sounded confident of BSP's ability to bounce back.

"We are gearing up for the 2027 UP Assembly elections. We will work hard and are confident of forming the next government," Pal said.

Right through the bypolls senior BSP leaders were conspicuous by their absence. BSP chief Mayawati did not attend any public meeting or hold a rally for party candidates while her nephew and senior office bearer Akash Anand as well as Rajya Sabha MP Satish Chandra Mishra didn't campaign.

Ruling parties held sway in most of the 13 states in the assembly byelection results declared on Saturday, with the BJP and its allies wresting seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan and the Trinamool Congress sweeping West Bengal.

Out of the 46 seats where byelections were held, the BJP and its allies won 26, a gain of nine seats, followed by Congress with seven -- a loss of six seats. The Trinamool Congress won six, the Aam Aadmi Party three and the Samajwadi Party two seats. The LDF in Kerala and BAP in Rajasthan got one each.

Apart from this, two seats in Sikkim were won unopposed by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM).

In the bypolls to two Lok Sabha constituencies, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi cruised to her maiden electoral victory from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala with a margin of over 4.1 lakh votes against CPI(M)-led LDF's Sathyan Mokeri. The party also won Nanded in Maharashtra by a narrow margin after recounting of votes.

After the reverses in the Lok Sabha election, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured its hold over the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh with its candidates winning seven out of nine seats. The BJP retained four seats -- Ghaziabad, Khair, Majhawan and Phulpur -- and wrested Katehari and Kundarki from the SP while its ally RLD retained one. The Samajwadi Party, which had four of these seats, retained Sishamau and Karhal.

The BJP termed the byelection results as a defeat of divisive forces.

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.

"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 on X.

However, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav termed the Uttar Pradesh bypolls the "most distorted form of electoral politics".

The Muslim-dominated Kundarki assembly had not been won by the BJP since 1993, while it was the party's first win since 1991 in Katehari.

The ruling BJP won five of the seven seats in Rajasthan, wresting three from Congress and one from the RLP. The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) and the Congress retained one seat each.

In a boost to the Bhagwant Mann-led government, the ruling AAP in Punjab wrested Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal assembly segments from the Congress, which ousted AAP from Barnala.

Among the prominent losers was former Punjab finance minister and BJP candidate Manpreet Singh Badal (Gidderbaha). Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring's wife Amrita (Gidderbha) and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa's wife Jatinder Kaur (Dera Baba Nanak) lost from seats which were considered their strongholds.

The ruling NDA in Bihar swept the bypolls to four assembly segments, retaining Imamganj (HAM) and wresting from the INDIA bloc Tarari (BJP), Ramgarh (BJP) and Belaganj (JD-U), receiving a boost ahead of the assembly elections due next year.

Candidates of the Jan Suraaj, floated recently by former political strategist Prashant Kishor with much fanfare, lost deposits in all but one seat.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, whose party has now lost the status of the single largest party in the assembly, played down the results and claimed that the Mahagathbandhan, the INDIA bloc's Bihar prototype, was all set to win the 2025 assembly elections.

The TMC trounced the opposition in West Bengal, retaining five seats and wresting Madarihat from the BJP, further cementing its political dominance in the state despite the the ongoing protests over the RG Kar incident.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the results of the byelections 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.

Not just BJP, the TMC also defeated its INDIA bloc allies, the Left Front and the Congress, with huge margins in the Haroa and Sitai seats with all rival candidates losing their security deposits.

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya - an ally of NDA - also got a boost as Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's wife Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma wrested the Gambegre seat from the Congress.

The Congress won the byelections to all three assembly seats in Karnataka, wresting one each from the BJP and its ally JD(S). In Kerala, it retained the Palakkad assembly seat while the ruling LDF maintained its hold in Chelakkara assembly seat.

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

The BJP along with its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) won all five assembly constituencies in Assam.

The AGP and UPPL retained the Bongaigaon and Sidli (ST) constituencies, respectively. The BJP retained Behali and Dholai (SC), and wrested Samaguri from the Congress.

The ruling BJP wrested the Vav assembly constituency in Gujarat from the Congress and retained the Raipur City South assembly seat in Chattisgarh and Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP retained the Budhni seat, where byelection was necessitated following the resignation of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but suffered a setback as state minister Ramniwas Rawat lost in the Vijaypur assembly seat with the Congress retaining the seat.

Rawat had won the seat on a Congress ticket in the 2023 assembly polls but then switched over to the BJP, which made him forest minister in the Mohan Yadav government. He had won from Vijaypur in Sheopur district as a Congress candidate in 1990, 1993, 2003, 2008 and 2013 as well.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) candidates Aditya Golay and Satish Chandra Rai were on Saturday elected unopposed in the bypolls to Soreng-Chakung and Namchi-Singhithang assembly constituencies, officials said.

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.

 The ruling BJP in Assam on Saturday defeated the Congress in the closely-watched by-election to the Samaguri assembly seat, which witnessed widespread violence during the campaign phase.

BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress nominee Tanzil Hussain by 24,501 votes.

Tanzil's father Rakibul Hussain, a former state minister, won the minority-dominated seat for five consecutive terms. His election to the Lok Sabha necessitated the bypoll.

The Congress's loss in the seat is being seen as a personal defeat for senior Hussain, who created a record by winning the Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency with a margin of over 10 lakh votes.

Sarmah polled 81,321 votes, while Tanzil secured 56,820 votes.

Samaguri was among five assembly seats where by-elections were held, and the BJP-led NDA bagged all of them.

Incidents of violence were reported on a daily basis from the area ahead of polling with supporters of the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress getting involved in clashes. Several complaints were filed by both sides before the Election Commission.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP's victory in Samaguri was a firm rejection of the "opposition's divisive politics".

"A special mention for Samaguri, a constituency with a 65 per cent minority population, held by Congress for 25 years, now won by the BJP. This historic victory reaffirms people's trust in our welfare agenda and their firm rejection of the Opposition's divisive politics," he said in a post on X "My heartfelt thanks to the people for their steadfast support. We remain committed to building a Viksit Assam for all. A big shoutout to our dedicated Karyakartas who took our message of development to every booth!" he added.

While campaigning in Samaguri, Sarma had slammed the Congress for nominating Tanzil, maintaining that the dynastic politics of the opposition party were preventing talented youths from joining politics.

The Congress countered Sarma's assertion by pointing to the nomination of Diptimayee Choudhury in Bongaigaon by BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad. She is the wife of AGP MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury, who represented Bongaigaon for eight consecutive terms, before stepping inside Parliament from the Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav downplayed his party's dismal performance in the bypolls to four assembly seats in Bihar, claiming that the Mahagathbandhan will form the next government in the state where elections are due in less than a year.

Talking to reporters here, Yadav, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar assembly, rejoiced at his party's better-than-expected performance in neighbouring Jharkhand where the JMM-led alliance has retained power.

In 2019, RJD had secured only the Chatra seat in Jharkhand. This time RJD won Deoghar, Godda, Bishrampur and Hussainabad seats in the state.

"Loss in a few seats is no big deal. We had gained leads in these assembly segments in the recent Lok Sabha elections. We will do better in the 2025 assembly elections and the Mahagathbandhan will form the next government in Bihar. Winning and losing is a part of elections...we are not disappointed at all...we fought the elections unitedly," said the RJD leader, making light of his party's failure to retain Belaganj and Ramgarh, besides its inability to wrest Imamganj.

The grand alliance under the leadership of Hemant Soren Ji won Jharkhand assembly polls with a huge margin, he said.

"We are once again forming the government in Jharkhand. After Jharkhand, the Mahagathbandhan will form the government in Bihar in 2025," he said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the BJP may have lost the Vijaypur bypoll on Saturday but its vote share had increased.

In a huge blow to the ruling BJP, state minister Ramniwas Rawat lost to the Congress' Mukesh Malhotra by a margin of 7,364 votes in the Vijaypur assembly bypoll.

"Even though Rawat had to face defeat in Vijaypur, the party's votes have increased there. The BJP's double engine government in Madhya Pradesh will continue to take the state's journey of development forward. In the coming elections, the party will register a big victory in Vijaypur as well,: Yadav said.

The Congress had won Vijapur seat in the 2023 assembly elections by a margin of over 18,000, while it had come down to 7,000 now, he said.

Vijapur has been a Congress seat and won by the BJP only once in the history, he pointed out.

The BJP, however, won the bypoll in Budhni, a stronghold of Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 

 In a boost to Punjab's ruling AAP, the party wrested the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, and Chabbewal Assembly segments while the Congress won the Barnala seat in the bypolls, the results of which were declared on Saturday.

The bypolls, which took place on November 20, were necessitated after the incumbent legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to breach the Congress bastion in Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak, however, it lost its own stronghold of Barnala to the main opposition party.

The BJP drew a blank in the bypolls as its candidates remained at a distant third spot in the four seats. Three of its candidates in Dera Baba Nanak, Gidderbaha and Chabbewal lost their security deposits. However, its candidate in Barnala put up a good fight.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had stayed away from the bypolls.

With this victory, the AAP will have 94 seats and the Congress will have 16 in the 117-member Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal has three MLAs, the BJP two, and the Bahujan Samaj Party one. One seat is held by an Independent.

As the results came in, AAP leaders and workers burst firecrackers, distributed sweets and danced to the beats of 'dhol' while victory marches were taken out by the successful candidates in their respective constituencies.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann congratulated the people of Punjab for the "spectacular" victory in the bypolls.

"Under the leadership of @ArvindKejriwal ji, Aam Aadmi Party is touching new heights day by day across the country. We are working day and night honestly and without any discrimination for the progress and prosperity of Punjab. We will fulfil every promise made to Punjabis during the by-elections on a priority basis. Best wishes to everyone," he said in a post on X.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, in a post on X, said the people of Punjab have once again expressed their faith in the ideology of the AAP and the work of the state government by giving three out of four seats to his party in the bypolls.

In Gidderbaha, AAP candidate Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon defeated his nearest rival Congress nominee Amrita Warring, who is the wife of Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

In a keenly-watched contest, Dhillon defeated Congress nominee Amrita Warring by a margin of 21,969 votes.

Dhillon secured 71,644 votes while Amrita, who was contesting for the first time, got 49,675 votes. BJP candidate and former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal secured 12,227 votes while Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Sukhraj Singh got only 715 votes.

Raja Warring represented this seat in 2012, 2017 and 2022.

AAP candidate Gurdeep Singh Randhawa won the Dera Baba Nanak seat after he defeated Congress nominee Jatinder Kaur by a margin of 5,699 votes.

In the fierce contest between the Congress and the AAP, Randhawa secured 59,104 votes while Kaur polled 53,405 votes. BJP candidate Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon could manage just 6,505 votes as he trailed at third spot.

In the neck-and-neck contest, Kaur was leading from the third to the eighth round of counting. But later, Randhawa maintained the lead in the following rounds.

Kaur is the wife of Congress MP from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who represented this seat in 2002, 2012, 2017 and 2022.

Speaking to reporters later, Raja Warring claimed that the "diversion" of votes of Shiromani Akali Dal to the AAP in Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak seats was one of the reasons behind their defeats.

AAP nominee Ishank Kumar Chabbewal won the Chabbewal segment in Hoshiarpur. He defeated his nearest rival and Congress nominee Ranjit Kumar by a margin of 28,690 votes.

Ishank polled 51,904 votes while Congress party candidate Kumar secured 23,214 votes. BJP's Sohan Singh Thandal was at the third spot with 8,692 votes.

The Chabbewal bypoll was necessitated after Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who was a Congress MLA but later joined the AAP, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur.

Ishank, a doctor by profession, is the son of Raj Kumar Chabbewal who represented the Chabbewal segment in 2017 and 2022 on Congress tickets.

However, the Barnala seat sprang a surprise for the ruling party as it lost to the Congress. Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhillon defeated AAP nominee Harinder Singh Dhaliwal by 2,157 votes.

In the multi-cornered contest, Dhillon secured 28,254 votes while Dhaliwal got 26,097 votes. BJP candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon secured 17,958 votes while AAP rebel and independent candidate Gurdeep Singh Batth secured 16,899 votes.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Govind Singh Sandhu got 7,900 votes, as per the result.

The AAP's chances in the Barnala seat appeared to have been dented by party rebel Gurdeep Singh Batth, who fought as an Independent after he was denied ticket. Batth secured more than 16,000 votes.

Barnala seat was seen as the AAP's citadel. AAP's Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who is now Sangrur MP, represented the Barnala segment in 2017 and 2022.

AAP leader Harjot Bains said the "arrogance" of the Congress in Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak has been shattered. "This is a victory of public welfare work of the AAP government," he said.

The bypolls were seen as a litmus test for Chief Minister Mann as a victory was important for him because the AAP faced a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in which it could win just three of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab.

The stakes were also high for the main opposition Congress as the wives of its MPs Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Sukhjinder Randhawa contested the bypolls from Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak seats.

The BJP was also looking to put up a strong show after it drew a blank in the general elections from the state. 

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday termed his party's win in three out of four seats in the Punjab bypolls a "semi-final", asserting that the party is on course for another historic mandate in Delhi.

Kejriwal, a former chief minister of Delhi, said the people of Punjab have chosen the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the second time, which shows that it is doing good work.

"Over the past decade, we have established the Delhi model of governance that focuses on making life easier for the common man," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, referring to the AAP's election symbol broom, said the party, which "used to clean homes and shops with a broom", was now cleaning "all of India" under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership.

AAP secured victories in three out of four assembly by-elections in Punjab, strengthening its hold in the state. The Congress managed to win one seat, while the BJP failed to secure any.

The bypolls were seen as a litmus test for the party because the AAP faced a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in which it could win just three of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab.

Punjab bypoll results like semifinal ahead of Delhi Assembly polls in Feb; AAP will again get the historic mandate, said Arvind Kejriwal.
 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP co-incharge for the assembly elections in Jharkhand, said the party's loss was deeply painful for him.

Sarma congratulated the JMM-led alliance for securing an "impressive victory", and said that he was confident that under the leadership of CM Hemant Soren, Jharkhand will embark on a path of progress and development.

"The loss in Jharkhand is deeply painful for me personally, even though we secured victory in all five by-elections in Assam. I have witnessed the unwavering dedication and relentless efforts of our Karyakartas in Jharkhand, who gave their all in this election," he said in a post on X.

Sarma said the BJP fought the elections with a vision to protect the state from "infiltration" and to lead it on the path of development, fulfilling the aspirations of students and the youth.

"However, we must humbly accept the mandate of the people, for that is the true essence of democracy. In these challenging times, we will stand firmly with our Karyakartas, offering them unwavering support and solidarity," he said.

In another post, Sarma said, "JMM and its allies have secured an impressive victory in Jharkhand. My heartfelt congratulations to Shri @HemantSorenJMM and his entire team on this achievement. I am confident that under his leadership, Jharkhand will embark on a path of progress and development." Soren's JMM-led alliance was all set to retain power in Jharkhand with a massive mandate. The BJP emerged as the second largest party but its performance was poorer than its expectations. 

BJP candidate Ramakant Bhargava won the Budhni bypoll in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

Bhargava, a former Lok Sabha MP, defeated the Congress' Rajkumar Patel by a margin of 13,901 votes.

The Budhni bypoll on November 13 was necessitated following the resignation of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was elected from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat and then became Union minister.

Chouhan had won from Budhni in the 2023 assembly polls by a margin of 1.04 lakh votes. He had also won the seat in 1990, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2018.

Patel had won from Budhni in 1993. 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday cruised to her maiden electoral victory, from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, with a margin of over 4.1 lakh votes against CPI(M)-led LDF's Sathyan Mokeri, according to figures released by the Election Commission.

Priyanka got 6,22,338 votes which was less than the 6,47,445 votes received by her brother Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha polls in Wayanad in April this year, but her victory margin of 4,10,931 was more than his lead of 3,64,422 votes, despite the decline in turnout in the Wayanad bypoll.

The LS poll turnout in Wayanad, which has over 14 lakh registered voters, was close to 74 per cent in April, but had declined to 65 per cent in the by-election in November.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Wayanad, CPI's Annie Raja had secured second place with 2,83,023 votes, while BJP's K. Surendran finished third with 1,41,045 votes.

However, both fronts were unable to replicate their performance in the bypoll, despite a reduced voter turnout in the hill constituency.

Mokeri got 2,11,407 and BJP-led NDA's Navya Haridas came third with 1,09,939 votes.

Close to the announcement of the final counting results, Priyanka, in a post on social media platform X, thanked the people of Wayanad for electing her as their representative to the Parliament.

"My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and fights for you as one of your own. I look forward to being your voice in Parliament! "Thank you for giving me this honour and even more for the immense love you have given me," she said.

In her post, Priyanka also thanked her colleagues in the UDF, leaders from across Kerala, workers, volunteers and everyone else who supported her and worked "incredibly hard" in her poll campaign, by "tolerating" her "12 hour a day (no food, no rest) car journeys, and for fighting like true soldiers for the ideals we all believe in".

"To my mother, Robert and my two jewels- Raihan and Miraya, no gratitude is ever enough for the love and courage you give me. And to my brother, Rahul, you are the bravest of them all… thank you for showing me the way and having my back, always," she said in her post on X. 

According to ECI, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat lost from Sangamner by 10,560 votes and was MLA since 1985.

Congress leader and candidate from Wayanad parliamentary constituency, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met party national president Mallikarjun Kharge, in Delhi.

She is leading in Wayanad By-Election with a margin of 4,10,931 votes.

The BJP and its ally RLD were leading in seven of the nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats where bypolls were held earlier this week while the Samajwadi Party was ahead in the remaining two, Election Commission trends showed on Saturday.The BJP was in the lead in Kundarki, Khair, Ghaziabad, Phulpur, Katehari and Majhawan seats, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Meerapur and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Karhal and Sisamau.

The BJP on Saturday retained the Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand, with its candidate and state Mahila Morcha president Asha Nautiyal defeating Congress' Manoj Rawat by 5,622 votes.

Nautiyal took an early lead and maintained it till the end. This is her third victory from the seat. She was elected to the state assembly from Kedarnath in 2002 and 2007 also.

Nautiyal polled 23,814 votes, Manoj Rawat got 18,192 and Independent candidate Tribhuvan Singh was in the third position with 9,311 votes, the Election Commission website showed.

This is the second time in a row that the Congress has lost the seat. In the 2022 assembly polls, Manoj Rawat finished third after BJP's Shaila Rani Rawat and Independent candidate Kuldeep Singh Rawat.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July. Polling was held on November 20 and a voter turnout of 57.64 per cent was recorded.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said this is a "huge victory" for the BJP and the triumph of the development work carried out in Kedarnath under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 The ruling NDA in Bihar on Saturday swept the bypolls to four assembly segments, retaining Imamganj and wresting from the INDIA bloc Tarari, Ramgarh and Belaganj, receiving a boost ahead of the assembly elections due next year.Candidates of the Jan Suraaj, floated recently by former political strategist Prashant Kishor with much fanfare, lost deposits in all but one seat, in a clear indication that the fledgling party, despite claims of taking the political landscape in the state by storm, needs to cover much ground.

NDA ally JD(U)'s nominee Manorama Devi won the Belaganj assembly seat in Bihar bypolls, defeating her nearest RJD rival Vishwanath Kumar Singh by a margin of 21,391 votes on Saturday, the EC said.

Bypolls were held in three other seats - Tarari, Ramgarh and Imamganj.

The NDA's alliance partner Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), has already won the Imamganj seat.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website, Manorama Devi secured 73,334 votes, while her nearest rival Vishwanath Kumar Singh managed to bag 51,943 votes after the final round of counting.

The BJP on Saturday retained the Behali assembly constituency in Assam bypolls with its candidate Diganta Ghatowal defeating his nearest Congress rival Jayanta Bora by 9,051 votes, officials said.

Ghatowal polled 50,947 votes while Bora secured 41,896.

There were four candidates in the fray in the constituency, including Lakhikanta Kurmi of the CPI(ML)-L and Ananta Gogoi of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with both losing their deposits.

The seat was earlier held by Ranjit Dutta who was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tezpur parliamentary seat.

The Congress is leading by 4,747 votes after 18 rounds in the bypoll in Madhya Pradesh’s Vijaypur assembly seat, while the BJP is ahead in Budhni constituency by 5,362 votes after the fifth round.

The bye elections in Budhni and Vijaypur constituencies were held on November 13.

According to an election official, BJP’s Ramakant Bhargava is leading by 5,362 votes against his Congress rival Rajkumar Patel in Budhni after five rounds of counting.

Bhargava was earlier trailing by 953 votes after the second round of counting.

 In a boost to the ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya, party candidate and chief minister's wife Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma won the Gambegre constituency bypoll by a margin of over 4,500 votes.Chandee secured 12,679 votes while her nearest candidate Sadhiarani M Sangma of AITC manage to secure 8,084 votes, followed by Congress' Jingjang M Marak with 7,695 votes.

Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhillon won the Barnala assembly segment, defeating AAP's Harinder Singh Dhaliwal by a margin of 2,157 votes, said officials.

In the multi-cornered contest, Dhillon secured 28,254 votes, while Dhaliwal got 26,097 votes.

BJP candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon secured 17,958 votes, while AAP rebel and Independent candidate Gurdeep Singh Batth secured 16,899 votes. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Govind Singh Sandhu got 7,900 votes.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka on Saturday retained its strong hold of Sandur, with its candidate E Annapoorna, winning the Assembly bypoll by a margin of 9,649 votes.Annapoorna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram, won the seat vacated by her husband, defeating BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu.

The ruling NDA alliance in Bihar has established lead in assembly by-polls in all four constituents where counting of votes was underway on Saturday, according to initial trends.  The by-elections were held on November 13 in Tarari, Belaganj, Imamganj and Ramgarh seats.

The TMC won three seats, wresting the key Madarihat seat from the BJP, and took unassailable leads in three others across all six assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, reinforcing its stronghold in West Bengal despite ongoing protests over the RG Kar Medical College incident.

The bypolls were held in six constituencies — Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST) — after the resignation of sitting MLAs who vacated their assembly seats after winning seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

These elections were seen as a crucial test for the state's ruling party, especially as they come amidst a politically charged environment, heightened by the RG Kar Medical College protests.

In Sitai (SC), TMC's Sangita Roy won by a margin of 1,30,636 votes bagging 1,65,200 votes, while her nearest rival, BJP's Dipak Kumar Ray, received 35,348 votes, signalling TMC's dominant performance in the Scheduled Caste seat.

 AAP candidate Ishank Kumar Chabbewal won the Chabbewal assembly seat in Punjab on Saturday, defeating his nearest rival and Congress nominee Ranjit Kumar by a margin of 28,690 votes, according to officials.

Ishank Kumar, a doctor, polled 51,904 votes and Ranjit Kumar secured 23,214 votes. The BJP's Sohan Singh Thandal was a distant third with 8,692 votes, Election Commission data showed.

The Chabbewal bypoll was necessitated after Ishank Kumar's father Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who was a Congress MLA but later joined the AAP, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur.

Raj Kumar was elected to the Punjab Assembly from Chabbewal in 2017 and 2022 on Congress tickets.

The BJP was leading in four seats while the Samajwadi Party was ahead in two of the nine assembly seats for which bypolls were held, according to Election Commission trends on Saturday.The trends in the other three seats were yet to be reflected. While BJP candidates are leading in Kundarki, Khair, Sisamau and Majhawan seats, the SP candidates have an edge in Karhal and Phulpur.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy leads in Channapatna bypoll, as per Election Commission of India; Counting underway

Indian National Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil leads in Palakkad assembly bypoll, as per Election Commission of India

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's Aditya Golay (Tamang) won Soreng–Chakung Assembly by-election uncontested.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's Satish Chandra Rai won Namchi–Singhithang Assembly by-election uncontested.
 

Uttar Pradesh: BJP's Shuchismita Maurya leading in Majhawan Assembly by-elections, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
 

 AAP's Dr Ishank Kumar leading in Chabbewal Assembly by-elections by a margin of 1571 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.

BJP's Rajendra Bhamboo leading in Jhunjhunu Assembly by-elections by a margin of 1018 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.

 BJP's Rewant Ram Danga leading in Khinwsar Assembly by-elections by a margin of 2285 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.

 Counting votes is underway in Raipur City South Assembly by-poll, in Raipur

BJP leading in all 9 UP bypoll seats

BJP is leading on 7 seats, whereas SP on 2 seats in early trends. 
 

"During the campaigning, we saw that the public was in our support. It is clear that we are going to win with a huge majority," said Sujoy Hazra, TMC candidate from Medinipur as votes are being counted.

In West Bengal, bypolls were held on six seats - Sitai, Madarihat, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Taldangra.

Counting of votes for Karhal Assembly by-elections in Mainpuri is taking place today. Visuals from a counting centre in Naveen Galla Mandi. 

UP Bypolls Election Results 2024 Live Updates: BJP, Congress-SP fight first major battle since Lok Sabha election

Counting of votes for Palakkad Assembly by-elections to take place today. Visuals from a counting centre as security personnel and polling officials arrive.

Counting to begin at 8 AM for 32 constituencies