By-polls in 6 Indian states: Ruling parties retain most seats

By-elections were held in six Indian states and one union territory today, the first since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's move to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The elections were held for four Parliament and 10 assembly constituencies in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won both the Nepanagar assembly seat and the Shahdol (reserved constituency) Lok Sabha seat with its candidate Gyan Singh defeating Cong rival Himadri Singh by a margin of over 60,000 votes.

Around 66 per cent people voted in the by-polls in Shahdol constituency while the turnout in Nepanagar was about 73 per cent.

In BJP-ruled Assam, the party is leading by a huge margin in the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat vacated by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. It is also leading by 4,835 votes in Baithalangso assembly seat, where an ex-Congress candidate fought.

In West Bengal, where by-elections were held for one assembly seat - Monteswar - and two Parliament seats - Coochbehar and Tamluk - all the seats were held by the Trinamool Congress of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Trinamool Congress candidates were way ahead of rivals in the vote count on Tuesday where by-polls were held on Saturday. Dibyendu Adhikari was declared elected from Tamluk Lok Sabha seat defeating his nearest rival CPM’s Mandira Panda by 497,000 votes.

In Tamil Nadu, by-elections were held for three assembly seats which are all won by AIADMK candidates, who were in direct contest with rival DMK.

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy of the Congress has won the Nellithope Assembly seat.

In Tripura, the CPI-M won both the assembly seats in Barjala and Khowai.

These were the first elections after the currency ban, over which the opposition has attacked the government.

(WION)