By The Sampadak Express
The results of the by-elections held on June 19 across five Assembly constituencies in four states brought key takeaways for major political parties. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) clinched significant wins in Gujarat and Punjab, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) unseated the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) retained its dominance in West Bengal with a landslide victory.
Gujarat: Gopal Italia Secures AAP’s First Win in Visavadar
In a notable development in Gujarat, AAP’s Gopal Italia defeated BJP’s Kirit Patel in the Visavadar seat (Junagadh district) by a margin of 17,554 votes, marking a breakthrough for AAP in Saurashtra. The seat had fallen vacant after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined BJP in December 2023.
However, the BJP retained the Kadi constituency (Mehsana district), with candidate Rajendra Chavda winning by 39,452 votes over Congress’ Ramesh Chavda. The Kadi seat was reserved for Scheduled Castes and had become vacant following the demise of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki.
Following Congress’ poor performance in both seats, Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil resigned from his post, taking moral responsibility for the defeats.
Punjab: AAP Retains Ludhiana West, Defeats Congress
AAP continued its dominance in Punjab by retaining the Ludhiana West seat. Sanjeev Arora of AAP won with a margin of 10,637 votes, securing 35,179 votes in total. Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu finished second with 24,542 votes, followed by BJP’s Jiwan Gupta (20,323) and SAD’s Parupkar Singh Ghuman (8,203).
This seat was left vacant after the passing of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi earlier this year.
Reacting to the twin victories in Gujarat and Punjab, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called the bypolls a “semi-final for 2027” and said the people had rejected both BJP and Congress. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann echoed the sentiment, stating the result reflected the public’s satisfaction with AAP’s governance.
Kerala: Congress Upsets LDF in Nilambur
In Kerala, the UDF pulled off a crucial victory by wresting the Nilambur seat from the CPI(M). Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath defeated CPI(M)’s M Swaraj by 11,077 votes. The seat fell vacant after LDF-backed independent MLA P V Anvar resigned.
Shoukath, son of late Congress leader Aryadan Muhammed, described the win as “anticipated by the people of Kerala.” This marks the fourth consecutive bypoll loss for the ruling LDF in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s second term, following setbacks in Puthuppally, Palakkad, and Thrikkakara.
Despite the loss, CPI(M) leaders said they respected the people’s verdict, although Swaraj denied any anti-incumbency factor. Anvar, contesting again as an independent, finished a strong third.
West Bengal: TMC’s Alifa Ahmed Registers Thumping Win in Kaliganj
In West Bengal’s Kaliganj seat (Nadia district), TMC’s Alifa Ahmed won by a massive margin of 50,049 votes, polling 1,02,759 votes. BJP’s Ashish Ghosh came second, while the Congress-Left-supported candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh trailed in third with 28,348 votes.
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, Alifa’s father. A former IT professional, Alifa entered politics to continue her father’s legacy and credited her victory to public trust in CM Mamata Banerjee’s development-driven leadership.
Reacting to the win, CM Banerjee said the victory reflected the people’s unwavering support for “Mother, Land, and People,” praising the tireless work of TMC’s grassroots workers in Kaliganj.
Key Takeaways:
1. AAP makes inroads in Gujarat and consolidates power in Punjab.
2. Congress lands a major symbolic win in Kerala, further denting LDF’s standing.
3. TMC continues its stronghold in Bengal, scoring a decisive victory.
With the Lok Sabha elections two years away, these bypoll results offer an early glimpse into shifting political currents and evolving voter sentiment across regions.
