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New Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bypoll results: UDF scores big in Kerala, TMC ahead in Bengal, AAP leads in Gujarat and Punjab
By-elections to assembly seats in Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, and Kerala on Monday delivered mixed results, with AAP gaining ground, TMC set to retain its seat in Bengal, and the Congress-led UDF scoring a key victory in Kerala. UDF snatches Nilambur seat In a severe blow to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala, the opposition UDF on Monday surged ahead in the Nilambur Assembly by-election and was on the verge of victory as counting neared completion. UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath, son of Congress veteran Aryadan Muhammed, secured a lead of 11,077 votes over CPI(M)'s M Swaraj. The bypoll was widely seen as a mid-term referendum on the LDF government. Independent candidate P V Anvar, the former legislator whose resignation triggered the bypoll, surprised many with his strong performance, securing over 18,000 votes. The BJP candidate, Mohan George, lagged far behind. Celebrations erupted in Nilambur and across the UDF camp, with Congress leaders hailing the result as a sign of growing public support ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. TMC comfortably ahead in Kaliganj In West Bengal's Kaliganj assembly seat, TMC candidate Alifa Ahamed, daughter of the late MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed, was leading by over 19,000 votes after seven rounds of counting. She had secured 32,308 votes against Congress candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh, who had the backing of the CPI(M) and polled 13,144 votes. BJP's Ashis Ghosh was in third place with 11,987 votes. The bypoll was held following the death of Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. Voting saw a turnout of 69.85 per cent and remained largely peaceful.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
5 Assembly bypolls: High voter turnout in Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala
Kaliganj Assembly bypoll in WB's Nadia. (PTI) Bypolls conducted across five Assembly segments in Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala on Thursday recorded high percentages of voter turnouts. Kaliganj in West Bengal - 69.85% polling by 5 pm Visavadar in Gujarat - 54.61% by 5pm Kadi in Gujarat - 54.49% by 5 pm Nilambur in Kerala - 59.68% by 3 pm Ludhiana West in Punjab - 49.07% by 5 pm The electoral process, which began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, remained predominantly peaceful, barring a few isolated incidents, according to officials. The bypolls were required in Gujarat, West Bengal and Punjab due to the passing of sitting MLAs, whilst in Kerala and another Gujarat seat, the elections were prompted by legislative resignations. Results are scheduled for June 23. Kaliganj "Polling in Kaliganj has been peaceful. There was no report of any incident from anywhere in and around the constituency. Till 5 pm, the polling was 69.85%," an election official told PTI. The vacancy arose following TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed's death in February. The TMC selected his daughter, Alifa Ahamed, as their candidate. BJP nominated Ashis Ghosh, whilst Congress fielded Kabil Uddin Shaikh, supported by the CPI(M). To ensure fair elections, fourteen central force companies were stationed throughout the constituency. Several polling stations reported minor disturbances. At booth 56 in Chandghar Adarsha Vidyapith, Congress officials claimed their polling agent was forcibly removed by TMC workers, which the ruling party denied. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Electoral officials confirmed no rule violations but requested a district magistrate report regarding the incident. EC officials removed party symbols within 100 metres of polling stations. Mobile phones were prohibited inside voting areas, with designated storage spots supervised by EC-appointed volunteers. Nilambur The constituency's 263 polling stations saw substantial participation from its 2.32 lakh registered voters. The main contestants among ten candidates include LDF's M Swaraj, UDF's Aryadan Shoukath, independent candidate P V Anvar (TMC state convenor), and NDA's Mohan George. Anvar, whose resignation necessitated the bypoll, discussed constituency developments during his tenure. He noted that wildlife conflicts weren't addressed by any front - UDF, LDF or NDA - during campaigning. Anvar resigned following allegations against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and associates, subsequently becoming TMC state convenor. Gujarat's Visavadar and Kadi BJP, Congress and AAP contested both seats. Visavadar became vacant in December 2023 after AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani joined BJP. The Kadi seat, reserved for SC candidates, was vacated following BJP MLA Karsan Solanki's death on February 4. AAP fielded former Gujarat president Gopal Italia, who isn't registered locally. BJP hasn't won Visavadar since 2007 despite dominating Gujarat. Bhayani defeated BJP's Harshad Ribadiya by 7,063 votes in 2022. BJP nominated Rajendra Chavda for Kadi, while Congress selected former MLA Ramesh Chavda. Chavda won in 2012 but lost to BJP's Karsanbhai Solanki in 2017. AAP's Jagdish Chavda makes it a three-way contest. Gujarat's 182-member Assembly comprises 161 BJP, 12 Congress, 4 AAP legislators, one SP member and two independents. Ludhiana West The seat became vacant after AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi's death in January. AAP's Sanjeev Arora voted with family after visiting religious sites. Congress's Bharat Bhushan Ashu, BJP's Jiwan Gupta and SAD's Parupkar Singh Ghuman cast their votes. EC implemented webcasting at 1,353 of 1,354 polling stations.
NDTV
19-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bypolls For 5 Seats In 4 States Largely Peaceful, High Turnout In Bengal
Ludhiana: Bypolls were held in five Assembly segments across Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala on Thursday, with the Kaliganj seat in West Bengal registering a polling percentage of nearly 70 by 5 pm. The polling that commenced at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm was largely peaceful, with the exception of a few isolated incidents, officials said. While the deaths of the incumbent MLAs necessitated the bypolls in one seat each in Gujarat, West Bengal and Punjab, the resignation of two legislators led to the polling in Kerala and another seat in Gujarat. At Kaliganj in West Bengal's Nadia district, a voter turnout of 69.85 per cent was recorded till 5 pm. "Polling has been peaceful. There was no report of any incident from anywhere in and around the constituency. Till 5 pm, the polling was 69.85 per cent," an election official told PTI. Sources said the polling percentage may go further up as there were queues outside polling booths. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. His daughter, Alifa Ahamed, was fielded in the bypoll by the ruling TMC. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated Ashis Ghosh for the contest, while Congress candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh is in the fray with the support of the CPI(M). Fourteen companies of central forces were deployed across the constituency to ensure free-and-fair polling. Minor tension was reported from a few booths. At Chandghar Adarsha Vidyapith's booth number 56, the Congress alleged that its polling agent was forcibly removed by TMC workers, an allegation denied by the ruling party. Ghosh, after casting his vote, expressed confidence of victory. However, he objected to the polling procedure, alleging that officials deliberately applied the indelible ink on his middle finger instead of the index finger under the "insistence" of TMC agents. "First, they missed putting the ink on my finger when I went to vote. Then, after I noticed it and returned, they deliberately marked my middle finger. This is a pre-planned political conspiracy by the TMC," the BJP candidate alleged. Poll officials confirmed that no rules were violated but said they have sought a report from the district magistrate regarding the incident. Election Commission (EC) officials removed party flags and festoons found within 100 metres of several polling booths. Voters were not allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations and were instructed to deposit the devices at designated spots under the supervision of EC-appointed volunteers. Kerala's Nilambur constituency saw a steady voter turnout of 59.68 per cent till 3 pm. People came out in good numbers at the 263 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 2.32 lakh voters. Among the 10 contestants, the key contenders are ruling LDF's pick M Swaraj, Aryadan Shoukath (of the Congress-led UDF), TMC state convenor and independent candidate P V Anvar and Mohan George of the BJP-led NDA. The UDF candidate expressed confidence about winning by a huge margin. Swaraj was also confident of securing a win. Anvar, whose resignation as the MLA from Nilambur necessitated the bypoll, told reporters about the developments carried out in the constituency when he was representing it. He also claimed that neither of the three fronts -- UDF, LDF and NDA -- discussed local issues like wild-animal attacks during their campaigns. He was also confident that he would get a good share of the UDF and LDF votes. Anvar, presently the state convener of the TMC, resigned as the MLA of the constituency following his severing of ties with the CPI(M)-led LDF over certain allegations levelled by him against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his close aides. In Gujarat, the Visavadar seat in Junagadh district recorded a poll percentage of 54.61 and Kadi in Mehsana district saw a voter turnout of 54.49 per cent till 5 pm. The state government declared a public holiday on Thursday in both the constituencies. The BJP, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielded their candidates in the two seats. The Visavadar seat was lying vacant since December 2023, after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling BJP. The Kadi seat, reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, fell vacant on February 4 following the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki. In the Visavadar seat, BJP candidate Kirit Patel and Congress nominee Nitin Ranpariya cast their votes in the early hours. The AAP fielded its former Gujarat president, Gopal Italia, from Visavadar. He is not registered as a voter in the constituency. Despite its near-total dominance in the state, the BJP has not won the Visavadar seat since 2007. Party leaders are hopeful this time of overcoming the 18-year jinx. In the 2022 Assembly polls, Bhayani defeated BJP's Harshad Ribadiya, a Congress turncoat and former MLA, by 7,063 votes. The BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from Kadi, while the Congress has given ticket to former MLA Ramesh Chavda. Chavda won the seat in 2012, but lost it to the BJP's Karsanbhai Solanki in 2017. Like Visavadar, Kadi will also witness a three-way fight, with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP fielding Jagdish Chavda. In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the BJP has 161 legislators, the Congress 12 and the AAP four. While one seat is with the Samajwadi Party, two are with independents. Punjab saw a voter turnout of 49.07 per cent till 3 pm in the Ludhiana West seat. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora went to a polling station along with his family members to exercise his franchise. Before casting his vote, Arora paid obeisance at a gurdwara, a temple and the Dargah Pir in Phillaur. Talking to reporters, Arora appealed to people to come out in large numbers to cast their votes. "Please come out to vote and have maximum voting today," he said. Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, BJP nominee Jiwan Gupta and Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Parupkar Singh Ghuman also cast their votes. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to voters to cast their votes. "My appeal to the voters of Ludhiana West is that you must exercise your right to vote. You must fulfil your duty for the development and progress of your area. Do not consider today a holiday, definitely go and cast your vote," Mann said in a post in Punjabi on X. The EC said webcasting was done at all but one polling station of the five seats. A total of 1,354 polling stations were set up for the bypolls and webcasting was held at 1,353, the poll authority said. This was also the first time that the EC provided a mobile-phone deposit facility to voters. The deposit centres were set up outside polling stations. So far, no such facility was available and some voters hid phones in their clothes and carried those inside polling stations, which is against rules. The bypoll results will be declared on June 23.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Voting underway in assembly bypolls in four states, moderate turnout recorded till noon
Moderate turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling across five assembly constituencies across Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala where bypolls are underway on Thursday. Polling commenced at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. While the death of sitting MLAs necessitated the bypoll in one seat of Gujarat and in West Bengal and Punjab, the resignation of two legislators led to the poll in Kerala and in one seat of Gujarat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo In West Bengal, a voter turnout of 30.64 per cent was recorded till 11 am in the Kaliganj assembly seat. Tension flared up at a booth where the Congress alleged that its polling agent was forcibly removed by workers of the Trinamool Congress. However, the ruling party denied the charge. Live Events The by-election was necessitated by the death of Trinamool Congress MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. His daughter, Alifa Ahamed, is contesting the seat as the TMC nominee. The BJP has fielded Ashis Ghosh as its candidate, while Congress candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh is in the fray with the support of the CPI(M). Kerala's Nilambur Assembly constituency saw a steady turnout of 30.15 per cent after the first four hours of polling. People came out in good numbers at the 263 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 2.32 lakh voters. Among the 10, the key contenders are ruling LDF pick M Swaraj, Aryadan Shoukath (Congress-led UDF), Trinamool Congress state convener and independent candidate P V Anvar and Mohan George of the BJP-led NDA. The UDF candidate expressed confidence about winning by a huge margin. LDF's Swaraj was also confident of securing a win in the bypoll. Anvar, whose resignation as MLA from Nilambur necessitated the byelection, told reporters about the developments carried out in the constituency when he was representing it. He also claimed that neither of the three fronts -- UDF, LDF and NDA -- discussed local issues like wild animal attacks during their campaign. He was also confident that he would get a good share of the UDF and LDF votes. Anvar, presently the state convener of the Trinamool Congress, resigned as MLA of the constituency following his severing of ties with the CPI(M)-led LDF over certain allegations by him against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his close aides. The voting commenced in the morning after a mock polling was carried out to check if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were working. In Gujarat, the Visavadar and Kadi assembly constituencies recorded a turnout of 28.15 per cent and 23.85 per cent, respectively, in the first four hours of votingin bypolls The Visavadar seat in Junagadh district recorded a voter turnout of 28.15 per cent by 11 am, while Kadi in Mehsana district registered 23.85 per cent polling. The state government has declared a public holiday on Thursday in both the constituencies for voting. The BJP, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have fielded their candidates in the two seats. The Visavadar seat was lying vacant since December 2023, after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling BJP. The Kadi seat, reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, fell vacant on February 4 following the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki. In the Visavadar seat, BJP candidate Kirit Patel and Congress nominee Nitin Ranpariya cast their votes in the early hours. The AAP has fielded its former Gujarat president Gopal Italia from Visavadar. He is not registered as a voter in the constituency. Despite its near-total dominance in the state, the BJP has not won the Visavadar seat since 2007. The party leaders are this time hopeful of overcoming the 18-year jinx. In the last assembly election in 2022, AAP's Bhupendra Bhayani defeated BJP's Harshad Ribadiya, a Congress turncoat and former MLA, by 7,063 votes. The BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from Kadi, while the Congress has given ticket to Ramesh Chavda, a former MLA. Chavda won the seat in 2012, but lost it to BJP's Karsanbhai Solanki in 2017. Like Visavadar, the Kadi seat will also witness a three-way fight, with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP fielding Jagdish Chavda. In the 182-member Gujarat assembly, the BJP has 161 legislators, Congress 12 and AAP four. While one seat is with the Samajwadi Party , two are with independents. Punjab saw a voter turnout of 21.51 percent till 11 am in the polling for the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll. The Ludhiana West Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora reached a polling station along with his family members to exercise his franchise. Before casting votes, Arora paid obeisance at a gurdwara, a temple and the Dargah Pir in Phillaur. Speaking to reporters, Arora appealed to the people to come out in large numbers to cast their votes. "Please come out to vote and have maximum voting today," he said. Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, BJP nominee Jiwan Gupta and SAD's Parupkar Singh Ghuman also cast their votes. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to voters to cast their votes in the bypoll. "My appeal to the voters of Ludhiana West is that you must exercise your right to vote. You must fulfil your duty for the development and progress of your area. Do not consider today a holiday, definitely go and cast your vote," Mann said in a post on X in Punjabi. The ruling AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member Arora for the bypoll. Arora (61) is a Ludhiana-based industrialist and is also known for his social welfare runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust. The Congress has placed its bet on former minister and Punjab Congress working president Ashu (51). Ashu had been MLA twice from this seat in 2012 and 2017. He was defeated by Gogi by a margin of 7,512 votes in the 2022 Assembly polls. The BJP candidate is a member of the core committee of Punjab BJP . He was earlier the party's state general secretary. The Ludhiana West bypoll is seen as a litmus test for Mann and the ruling party's national leadership which aggressively campaigned to retain this seat. The bypoll results will be declared on June 23.
Indian Express
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Assembly Bypoll: Kaliganj votes today, parties eye early boost
As the bypoll in the Kaliganj Assembly segment in Nadia district comes less than a year before the elections in West Bengal, both the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP are leaving no stones unturned to win the seat. With the TMC looking confident to win the minority-dominated seat, the BJP believes that 'Operation Sindoor' made a huge impact among the voters of Bengal and therefore, it will reflect in the counting of votes on June 23. Traditionally, Kaliganj had once been a strong bastion of the Congress. Other than Congress, the Left allies RSP won four times from there in the past. The Congress won from Kaliganj in the 2016 assembly election in alliance with the Left Front. But their winning candidate later joined TMC. In 2021, TMC's Nasiruddin Ahamed won from Kaliganj in 2011 but lost in 2016. He again regained the seat in 2021. After his demise, the seat fell vacant. The TMC has fielded 38-year-old Alifa Ahmed, the daughter of Nasiruddin Ahamed and a BTech graduate who works in a renowned IT company. While the BJP has picked Ashish Ghosh, a local panchayat member and former mandal president. Kabil Uddin Sheikh is the Congress nominee, backed by the Left Front. In last year's Lok Sabha election, CPI(M) candidate S M Sadi got the highest votes in Kaliganj Assembly segment. So, the Congress is expecting a good number of votes. On the other hand, the BJP is expecting the consolidation of Hindu votes, and is banking on the Congress candidate to split the minority votes to sail Ghosh through. 'We fought well in Kaliganj during the panchayat and Lok Sabha elections. In 2016, the Congress won the seat as part of the Left alliance. If we field a joint candidate now, we can defeat both TMC and BJP,' CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said. Kaliganj has a Muslim voter population of around 54 per cent, along with SCs (14.43 per cent) and STs (0.42 per cent). It is predominantly rural, with 90.67 per cent rural and 9.33 per cent urban population, as per the 2011 Census. 'The BJP thrives on dividing communities, but Kaliganj stands united. People here have rejected communal hatred time and again, and they will do so once more,' Alifa Ahmed said. State BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said, 'The TMC is playing appeasement politics in the name of minority welfare. We want equal development for all without vote bank politics… This election is not about Hindu or Muslim. It's about good governance, something the TMC has failed to deliver.' —WITH PTI Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
