India
Key by-elections in 13 assembly seats in seven states begin; Himachal CM’s wife in fight | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Voting for the 13 by-elections Meeting chairs about seven states began at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. The counting of votes for this mid-term elections will take place on July 13.
The fate of several seasoned politicians and newcomers, including the wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Kamlesh Thakur, will be decided by the elections.
These elections, the first since the Lok Sabha elections, are to fill vacancies created by the death or resignation of sitting members in legislative assemblies. The constituencies going to the by-elections are:
In West Bengal, both the ruling TMC and the BJP have a major stake in the by-elections. The TMC wants to capitalise on its improved performance in the Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP wants to exploit the significant lead it secured in the four constituencies during the parliamentary elections.
The TMC won Maniktala in the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, while the BJP won Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagda before the MLAs switched sides to the TMC. The TMC has fielded candidates with strong local connections, while the BJP has nominated prominent figures such as All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey.
In Uttarakhand’s Manglaur constituency, a three-way battle will be fought between the BSP, Congress and BJP, with the BJP having never won the seats dominated by Muslims and Dalits. The by-election in the Badrinath Assembly will be a direct contest between BJP’s Rajendra Bhandari, who recently switched from the Congress, and newcomer Lakhpat Singh Butola of the Congress. Historically, the party in power has an advantage in by-elections in Uttarakhand.
The Jalandhar West Assembly Bypoll in Punjab is a crucial test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP after their poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The multi-cornered battle includes candidates from the AAP, Congress and BJP, with Mann actively campaigning for the AAP candidate. The BJP is also aiming to secure a victory after failing to win a seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
(With input from the agency)
The fate of several seasoned politicians and newcomers, including the wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Kamlesh Thakur, will be decided by the elections.
These elections, the first since the Lok Sabha elections, are to fill vacancies created by the death or resignation of sitting members in legislative assemblies. The constituencies going to the by-elections are:
- West Bengal: Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagda, Maniktala
- Uttarakhand: Badrinath, Manglaur,
- Punjab: Jalandhar West
- Himachal Pradesh: Dehra, Hamirpur, Nalagarh
- Bihar: Rupauli
- Tamil Nadu: Vikravandi
- Madhya Pradesh: Amarwara
TMC, BJP clash in West Bengal
In West Bengal, both the ruling TMC and the BJP have a major stake in the by-elections. The TMC wants to capitalise on its improved performance in the Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP wants to exploit the significant lead it secured in the four constituencies during the parliamentary elections.
The TMC won Maniktala in the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, while the BJP won Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagda before the MLAs switched sides to the TMC. The TMC has fielded candidates with strong local connections, while the BJP has nominated prominent figures such as All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey.
Important By-elections in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh will witness by-elections in three constituencies — Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh — after three independent legislators who supported the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections resigned from the House. The BJP fielded these former independent MLAs from their respective seats after they joined the party. The Congress has nominated Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur in Dehra, while former independent MLAs are pitted against Congress candidates in Hamirpur and Nalagarh. The BJP had secured a lead in all three constituencies during the recent Lok Sabha elections.High stakes for BJP in Uttarakhand
In Uttarakhand’s Manglaur constituency, a three-way battle will be fought between the BSP, Congress and BJP, with the BJP having never won the seats dominated by Muslims and Dalits. The by-election in the Badrinath Assembly will be a direct contest between BJP’s Rajendra Bhandari, who recently switched from the Congress, and newcomer Lakhpat Singh Butola of the Congress. Historically, the party in power has an advantage in by-elections in Uttarakhand.
AAP aims for comeback in Punjab
The Jalandhar West Assembly Bypoll in Punjab is a crucial test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP after their poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The multi-cornered battle includes candidates from the AAP, Congress and BJP, with Mann actively campaigning for the AAP candidate. The BJP is also aiming to secure a victory after failing to win a seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
(With input from the agency)
