LIVE: BJP-Opposition face-off as votes are counted for bypolls to 4 Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly constituencies as well as Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Karnataka. All updates here

Update at 14:16: Rashtriya Lok Dal wins by 55000 in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh

Update at 13:56: TMC wins in West Bengal's Maheshtala assembly bypoll by 62896 votes

Update at 13:41: Congress' Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia wins Shahkot assembly bypoll in Punjab by 38802 votes

Update at 13:37: BJP wins Tharali assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand by just over 1800 votes

Update at 13:26: Mukul Sangma hugs daughter Miani D Shira after her victory in the Meghalaya's Ampati assembly bypoll -

Update at 13:23: BJP's Rajendra Gavit wins Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra's Palghar

Update at 13:20: It think it's become clear that the Modi wave is over, says Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh

Update at 13:16: In Punjab's Shahkot assembly constituency bypoll, Congress - 69756, Akali Dal 36294 and AAP - 1607

Update at 13:06: RLD leading by 109000 votes in Kairana. NCP leading in Gondia-Bhandara with 162287 seats to BJP's 149935.

Update at 13:03: JMM's Bibita Devi's winning margin in Gomia assembly seat is 4400 votes.

Update at 13:02: Tejashwi Yadav addresses news briefing after RJD wins Jokihat assembly bypoll in Bihar and says - 

"I thank the voters for our victory in Jokihat. It is their win. This is a win for 'Laluwaad'. BJP & Nitish are nowhere close to understanding Lalu Yadav"

"Those who spread swords and violence have lost. Those who do politics of love have won"

Update at 13:00: JMM wins Gomia assembly constituency in Jharkhand. Retains both Gomia and Silli seats

Update at 12:49 pm: Congress candidate Munirathna Naidu wins by 41162 votes in Karnataka's RR Nagar assembly constituency

Update at 12:47 pm: Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll latest: NDPP (NDA) - 350973, NPF - 281529

Update at 12:44 pm: JMM wins assembly bypoll in Jharkhand's Silli

Update at 12:43 pm: LDF wins in Kerala's Chengannur assembly seat by 20956 votes

Update at 12:42 pm: RJD's Shahnawaz Alam wins Bihar's Jokihat assembly seat by 41,224 votes. Naim Ul-Hasan of Samajwadi Party (SP) wins by 6678 votes in UP's Noorpur assembly seat

Update at 12:39 pm: RJD wins in Bihar's Jokihat, SP wins in UP's Noorpur

Update at 12:36 pm: NCP leads in Gondia-Bhandara LS bypoll. NCP - 102000, BJP - 94868

Update at 12:30 pm: After 18th round of counting in Palghar, Maharashtra, LS bypoll, BJP - 201508, Shiv Sena - 179860

Update at 12:23 pm: NCP remains ahead in Gondia-Bhandara LS bypoll in Maharashtra. NCP - 67061, BJP - 64004

Update at 12:16 pm: BJP leading by 815 votes in Uttarakhand's Tharali constituency after 10 rounds of counting

Update at 12:11 pm: After 15th round in UP's Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll, RLD - 340802, BJP - 262068

Update at 12:10 pm: After 15th round in Maharashtra's Palghar LS bypoll, BJP - 166138, Shiv Sena - 147441, BVA - 124985

Update at 12:09 pm: After round 14 in RR Nagar, Congress - 97440, BJP - 56278, JD(S) - 45345

Update at 12:05 pm: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma speaks to Republic TV after Congress emerges single-largest party in the state and states its intention to form a government. He said:

"Out of 60, we have 38 members who are supporting our coalition. So I don't think we have anything to worry about"

Update at 12:02 pm: All 160 booths counted in Kerala's Chengannur. LDF - 58013, Congress - 41041, BJP - 30721

Update at 11:56 am: Congress leading by 1092 am in Tharali assembly constituency of Uttarakhand after 9 rounds of counting

Update at 11:54 am: Samajwadi Party leading by 10208 votes over BJP after Round 20 in the Noorpur, U.P, assembly constituency

Update at 11:53 am: After Round 14 in Palghar LS bypoll vote counting, BJP - 155608, Shiv Sena - 136552

Update at 11:47 am: With Congress candidate leading in Punjab's Shahkot assembly bypoll, Akali Dal candidate alleges EVM tampering

Update at 11:43 am: After Congress wins Assembly bypoll in Meghalaya's Ampati, thereby emerging as the biggest party in the state, Mukul Sangma says,

"We will explore a way to form the Congress-led government in Meghalaya. I credit the victory to the electorate and people of Meghalaya"

Update at 11:41 am: BJP's Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll candidate Rajendra Gavit, who is leading by 19742 votes, speaks exclusively to Republic TV and says: "We worked hard. All credit goes to CM Fadnavis."

On Shiv Sena's EVM allegations, he said - "Why didn't they raise EVM issue when they won the BMC election?"

Update at 11:36 am: After 13th round, RLD leading by 41391 votes in UP's Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 11:34 am: In Kerala's Chengannur, LDF - 48531, Congress - 34950, NDA - 25706

Update at 11:32 am: After round 12 in UP's Kairana bypoll, RLD - 250862, BJP - 210977

Update at 11:31 am: NCP leads in Maharashtra's Gondia-Bhandara bypoll. NCP - 51219, BJP - 48382

Update at 11:28 am: In Nagaland LS bypoll, NDPP - 135828 vs NPF - 116449

Update at 11:27 am: After 10 rounds of counting in Kairana, RLD leads with 209938 votes versus BJP's 178948

Update at 11:23 am: Congress leading by 21000 votes in Punjab's Shahkot

Update at 11:17 am: RJD leading by 16299 votes in Bihar's Jokihat assembly bypoll after 14 rounds of counting

Update at 11:16 am: After 9th round of counting in UP's Kairana, RLD- 191529, BJP - 164604

Update at 11:15 am: Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai says,

"We have sought time from the Election Commission. Can they justify the EVM malfunctioning? People will lost faith in EC"

Update at 11:14 am: In Kerala's Chengannur, LDF - 39275, Congress - 29144 and BJP - 20661

Update at 11:12 am: At end of 10th round of counting, Congress' Munirathna Naidu leads in Karnataka's RR Nagar by over 45000 votes

Update at 11:10 am: In UP's Kairana, after 8 rounds, RLD - 170787, BJP - 150864

Update at 11:09 am: BJP leading by 17414 votes in Palghar Lok Sabha seat after seven rounds

Update at 11:05 am: After round 5 in Uttar Pradesh's Noorpur, SP - 56891 and BJP - 52350

Update at 11:02 am: NCP continues to lead in Maharashtra's Gondia-Bhandara LS bypoll. NCP - 35512, BJP - 33306

Update at 11:01 am: AJSU now leads in Jharkhand's Silli by 1125 votes

Update at 11:00 am: In Kairana, UP, after 7th round, RLD - 150024 vs BJP's 122815 votes

Update at 10:56 am: Congress wins in Ampati, Meghalaya by 3191-vote-margin

Update at 10:51 am: In Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll NDPP leads with 112337 votes against NPF's 87642

Update at 10:50 am: In Kerala's Chengannur, LDF leads with 29518 votes, versus Congress' 21945 and BJP's 16061

Update at 10:45 am: Congress leads by 18000 votes after 8 rounds in Punjab's Shahkot

Update at 10:44 am: SP - 45884, BJP - 41360 in UP's Noorpur after Round 12

Update at 10:43 am: NCP leading in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra. NCP - 18028, BJP - 17246

Update at 10:39 am: BJP - 80097 vs Shiv Sena - 62880 and BVA - 54903 in Maharashtra's Palghar

Update at 10:38 am: In UP's Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll, RLD - 113742, BJP - 95577

Update at 10:36 am: In UP's Noorpur, SP - 42506 vs BJP - 37590

Update at 10:35 am: After 11th round in Bihar's Jokihat, RJD - 30462 & JDU - 20519

Update at 10:34 am: BJP leading from Gomia assembly seat in Jharkhand by 7174 votes 

Update at 10:33 am: In Karnataka's RR Nagar, Congress' Munirathna Naidu now leads by over 40000 votes

Update at 10:28 am: In Maharashtra's Palghar, BJP leading with 56812 votes to Shiv Sena's 42576

Update at 10:25 am: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray calls for urgent meeting at his Matoshree residence

Update at 10:24 am: Congress' Munirathna leading by over 35,000 votes in RR Nagar, Karnataka

Update at 10:23 am: In UP's Kairana, RLD leading with 75503 votes versus BJP's 61022

Update at 10:21 am: NDPP (CM Rio's party) leading by over 20000 votes in Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 10:19 am: In Meghalaya's Ampati, after the fourth round, NPP - 9321, Congress - 11677

Update at 10:17 am: RJD's candidate takes lead in Bihar's Jokihat

Update at 10:15 am: RLD and opposition now leading by over 10,000 votes in UP's Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 10:14 am: Congress leads by 1335 votes in Meghalaya's Ampati

Update at 10:11 am: LDF leads by 5090 votes in Kerala's Chengannur assembly bypoll. In Karnataka's RR Nagar, Congress' Munirathna Naidu leads by 20,858 votes.

Update at 10:08 am: NDPP - 43206 votes versus NPF's 32606 votes

Update at 10:06 am: RLD with 55082 votes versus BJP's 45359 votes in critical Kairana, UP, Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 10:05 am: NCP leading in Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll by 3100 votes. BJP second

Update at 10:04 am: Samajwadi Party - 12816, BJP - 8984 in UP's Noorpur

Update at 10:03 am: NDPP (CM Rio's party) leading in Nagaland

Update at 10:02 am: Congress candidate leading in Ampati, Meghalaya

Update at 10:01 am: BJP leads Shiv Sena by over 10,000 votes in Palghar, Maharashtra Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 10:00 am: BJP leading in Tharali, Uttarakhand, by 1200 votes versus Congress

Update at 9:54 am: In Jharkhand, BJP's candidate leads in Gomia while JMM candidate leads in Silli. Congress' Munirathna Naidu leading in Karnataka's RR Nagar with 41625 votes to BJP's 17948 and JD(S)' 8470

Update at 9:53 am: Congress leading by almost 8500 votes versus Akali Dal in Punjab's Shahkot assembly seat

Update at 9:52 am: TMC leading by over 20000 votes from Maheshtala, West Bengal after second round. CPI(M) is second, BJP is third.

Update at 9:50 am: RLD leading by over 7000 votes versus BJP in UP's Kairana (LS)

Update at 9:47 am: BJP candidate leads by over 6000 votes in Palghar, Maharashtra, Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 9:46 am: RLD candidate leads with 34184 votes versus BJP's 27935 in Kairana, U.P Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 9:45 am: NDPP leading in Nagaland LS seat bypoll with 23364 votes to NPF's 20849

Update at 9:41 am: LDF candidate leading by 4638 votes in Chengannur (Kerala)

Update at 9:40 am: Congress candidate Laddi Sherowalia leading by around 8500 votes in fourth round in Shahkot, Punjab

Update at 9:36 am: RLD candidate leading versus BJP by 3385 votes in Kairana, UP (LS)

Update at 9:36 am: SP candidate leading by over 9000 votes in Noorpur, U.P Assembly bypoll. In Shahkot, Punjab, Congress leads with 13716 votes versys Akali Dal's 7889. AAP far behind with 308 votes

Update at 9:35 am: After 4th round, Congress' Munirathna leading by 18000 votes in Karnataka's RR Nagar

Update at 9:33 am: RLD leading with 20898 votes versus BJP's 17424 in UP's Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 9:32 am: JDU candidate leading by 3000 votes in Jokihat, Bihar

Update at 9:31 am: In Palghar LS bypoll in Maharashtra, BJP - 35000, Shiv Sena - 26000, Congress - 9000 & BVA - 30000

Update at 9:24 am: RLD leading in Kairana, U.P, with 13301 votes to 9916 votes

Update at 9:22 am: BJP leading in Palghar, Maharashtra (LS), with 23271 votes to BVA's 18923 and Shiv Sena's 18505. Congress trailing with 3422 votes after round 2. 

Update at 9:20 am: BJP candidate leading in Tharali (Uttarakhand). Munirathna leads by over 13,000 votes with tally of 25219 in RR Nagar, Karnataka, at end of third round 

Update at 9:19 am: Congress candidate leading in Shahkot, Punjab, by almost 5800 votes after round 3.

Update at 9:18 am: NDPP leads in Nagaland with 7207 votes to NPF's 2161

Update at 9:17 am: RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading in U.P's Kairana by 3118 votes

Update at 9:16 am: BJP leads in Palghar, Maharashtra (LS)

Update at 9:15 am: Noorpur, U.P - Samajwadi Party (4451) leads BJP (3459) after round 1/26

Update at 9:14 am: JDU candidate leading in Jokihar, Bihar. (JDU  8103,  RJD  5275)

Update at 9:13 am: JMM leading in Gomia, Jharkhand

Update at 9:10 am: Congress' Munirathna leads in RR Nagar, Karnataka with 16581 votes versus BJP's 7901 votes and JD(S) candidate's 3606 votes at the end of the 2nd round of counting.

Update at 9:08 am: 4th round completed in Maheshtala, WB. TMC in the lead

Update at 9:07 am: SP leading in Noorpur (U.P) by 4022 votes

Update at 9:00 am: BJP's candidate now leading in Jharkhand's Gomia. Congress candidate leading by around 3350 votes in second round in Punjab's Shahkot

Update at 8:59 am: 

KAIRANA (U.P - LS) - BJP 

NOORPUR (U.P) - SP 

SHAHKOT (PUNJAB) - CONGRESS 

SILLI (JHARKHAND) - AJSU 

GOMIA (JHARKHAND) - AJSU

JOKIHAT (BIHAR) - RJD

MAHESHTALA (WB) - TMC

PALGHAR (MAHARASHTRA - LS) - BJP 

BHANDARA-GONDIA (MAHARASHTRA - LS) - BJP 

AMPATI (MEGHALAYA) - CONGRESS 

RR NAGAR (KARNATAKA) - CONGRESS

Update at 8:58 am: Congress candidate leading in Meghalaya's Ampati assembly bypoll. Congress: 2624, NPP: 2142

Update at 8:56 am: SP candidate leading after second round in Noorpur. SP: 4806 votes vs BJP's 2749

Update at 8:53 am: BJP's Mriganka Singh leading in Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll in U.P. RJD leading in Jokihat (Bihar) assembly bypoll

Update at 8:52 am: TMC leading after first round of counting in West Bengal's Maheshtala assembly bypoll

Update at 8:51 am: Congress leading by around 2000 votes in Shahkot (Punjab) assembly bypoll with 4500 votes versus Akali Dal's 2500 votes

Update at 8:50 am: BJP candidate leading in Bhandara-Gondia (Maharashtra) Lok Sabha bypoll

Update at 8:49 am: Congress' Munirathna Naidu leading in RR Nagar, Karnataka after round 1 with 9,342 votes versus BJP's 5220 and JD(S)' 1539

Update at 8:48 am: Early lead for SP in Noorpur. SP (4545) vs BJP (3221)

Update at 8:47 am: BJP leading in postal ballot in Lok Sabha bypoll in Palghar

Update at 8:44 am: Congress candidate leading in Punjab's Shahkot with over 1000 votes after round 1

Update at 8:43 am: AJSU leading in Jharkhand's Gomia bypoll. Samajwadi Party candidate leading in Noorpur (U.P)

Update at 8:42 am: AJSU candidate Sudesh Mahato leading in Silli (Jharkhand) Assembly bypoll

Update at 8:38 am: First round of counting completed in Maheshtala bypoll (West Bengal)

Update at 8:33 am: In RR Nagar (Karnataka) of 550 postal ballots, over 300 have been counted.

Update at 8:32 am:

Congress wins Pulus-Kadegoan assembly seat of Maharastra as no one contested against Congress candidate Vishwajit Kadam

Update at 8:26 am:

Update at 8:21 am: Counting begins in Shahkot bypoll in Punjab

Update at 8:15 am: 

Update at 8:07 am: Counting begins in Tharali (Uttarakhand) assembly bypoll

Update at 8:06 am: Counting of votes begins in Jokihat (Bihar) and Gomia (Jharkhand)

Update at 8:01 am: Counting of votes begins in Kairana and Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh

Watch non-stop LIVE coverage of vote-counting from the 4 Lok Sabha seats and 11 assembly constituencies here.

---

Counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 assembly seats, as well for the deferred election to Karnataka's Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency, will be held on Thursday with a lot at stake.

4 Lok Sabha Bypolls:

The Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia seats in Maharashtra, the Kairana seat in Uttar Pradesh and the lone parliamentary constituency in Nagaland went to polls on Monday. It will be a litmus test for the BJP as a positive outcome is necessary for the saffron party to maintain its majority in the Lok Sabha.

The results, particularly in Kairana, will test the mettle of a united opposition versus that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After losing high-profile bypolls from Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BJP campaigned hard to win the Kairana seat, though it is up against the combined might of the Congress, SP and BSP who have all thrown their weight behind the RLD candidate. Elections were necessitated in Kairana after the seat fell vacant in February following the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from this seat.

Similarly, in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress left no stone unturned to woo the electorates in their favour.

Palghar is a reserved seat, which was previously held by the BJP. The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga died in January. Wanga had thrice won the constituency as a BJP member, though after his death, his family has joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the bye-election was necessitated when BJP's sitting MP Nana Patole quit the party to join the Congress in December last year.

Meanwhile, in Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. Rio, who represented this constituency, quit in February to contest in the assembly election and is now the Chief Minister of Nagaland.

Assembly Bypolls:

By-elections were held in Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

The by-poll in Gomia Assembly was necessitated after the sitting MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was expelled from the assembly after he was convicted in a coal theft case. In Jharkhand's Silli the sitting MLA, Amit Mahto, of the JMM was convicted in a criminal assault case in March following which the seat fell vacant. The seat of Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan. Chouhan was a two-time MLA from here.
The Maheshtala seat was held by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kasturi Das until his death in February. He too had represented this constituency twice.
Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress MLA Mukul Sangma resigned from Ampati seat in March, as he had also won from Songsak. Sangma was the MLA from this seat since 1993. The Tharali seat in Uttarakhand is reserved for the member of scheduled castes. The by-poll was necessitated after the death of the BJP MLA Magan Lal Shah in February. The Chengannur seat fell vacant after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA K.K. Ramachandran Nair in January.

In Bihar, Sarfaraz Alam had won the Jokihat assembly seat on Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) ticket. He later contested from RJD ticket and resigned in April from the post of MLA after his victory in the Araria Lok Sabha by-poll.

The Shiromani Akali Dal representative of the Shahkot seat, Ajit Singh Kohar the sitting MLA, died in February, which necessitated by-poll in the assembly. Kohar had won from the constituency in 2012 and 2017. Finally, the by-poll in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress's Patangrao Kadam, who had won the constituency twice. The EC has declared Kadam's son elected unopposed as the BJP had withdrawn its candidate.

The bye-elections were also marred by complaints of EVM malfunctioning in view of which the election commission had to replace the faulty machines at certain places after which repolling was held on several booths on Wednesday. 

In Karnataka's Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, the election had been deferred as the sitting Congress MLA, Munirathna Naidu, who was to also contest this time around, was named in two FIRs, allegedly for attempting to bribe voters. With the JD(S)-Congress coming up trumps after the Karnataka elections despite the BJP emerging the single largest party, as well as the subsequent show of strength by the opposition, there are sure to be fireworks depending on who wins.