Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
Congress wins in Gujarat and Punjab, BJP holds strong in Uttar Pradesh, an AIMIM candidate wins in Kishanganj in Bihar - the bypoll results have been full of surprises today. Apart from Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, bypoll results for 51 Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha constituencies across 18 states came out today. Here are the key takeaways.
1. Congress Gains in Gujarat
Out of six Assembly seats in the state, Congress & BJP are winning three seats each, but the real story is in the details. Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zhala, the two Congress turncoats who joined the BJP right after the Rajya Sabha polls held a few months back, lost the Radhanpur and Bayad Assembly Seats respectively. Not only has Congress held on to these seats after a defection, but they also won a seat in Tharad after a gap of 15 years. The vote share also tells its own story, with Congress' 43.7% coming a close second to BJP's 48%. Does this spell trouble in BJP's bastion?
2. NCP's Shriniwas Patil Wins Satara
In Satara, a political epic finally got its conclusion today. The bypoll in Satara took place because NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale quit the party and his Lok Sabha seat and joined BJP. BJP renominated him from Satara. NCP fielded Shrinwas Patil, who now looks set to win with a margin of 85 thousand votes. Also, remember that viral photo of Sharad Pawar drenched in the rain and campaigning? That rally was held in Satara just last week. In that speech, he had said selecting Bhosale was a blunder and asked for support for Patil. Turns out, you can't underestimate the political appeal of Sharad Pawar.
3. In Bihar, no BJP & A Seat for AIMIM
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen won its first seat ever anywhere in the Hindi heartland, with Qamrul Hoda winning over BJP's Sweety Singh in Kishanganj. Out of a total five seats in the state, RJD has two seats. While NDA'S JDU did win one seat, it was altogether a poor showing for BJP in Bihar.
4. BJP Holds Strong in Uttar Pradesh
In UP, BJP and its allies held strong, winning seven out of eleven seats, including in Lucknow Cantt, Govindnagar and Manakpur. BJP's ally Apna Dal also won one seat in Pratapgarh. The Congress, however, has failed to make a mark in any of the seats.
5. In Punjab, Congress Takes Over
Out of four seats in Punjab, Congress won three in Punjab; Phagwara which was BJP MLA Som Parkash's seat, Mukerian and most importantly, Jalalabad which was Sukhbir Badal's seat.
6. In Kerala, BJP's Attempt to Make Inroads Fails
Well, almost. BJP was hoping to make inroads in Kerala by winning Manjeswhar, which is situated on the northern tip of Kerala, bordering the state of Karnataka. But IUML's M C Kamaruddin won over BJP's Raveesh Thanthri Kuntar by 7,000 votes. However, BJP's vote share in Kerala has increased with the party getting 23% votes in the state.
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