BJP Faces Setback in Assembly Bypolls as INDIA Bloc Celebrates Dominant Victory

The BJP's performance in recent assembly bypolls has been disappointing, securing only two out of 13 seats, while the INDIA bloc won 10. Congress emerged victorious in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, bolstering the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government. Party leaders hailed the results as a triumph for democracy.

The results of assembly bypolls came as a setback for the BJP, which won only two of the 13 seats contested. The INDIA bloc secured 10 seats, and an independent candidate clinched a seat in Bihar, defeating the ruling NDA. These results brought significant comfort to the Congress, which won two of three seats in Himachal Pradesh and two seats in Uttarakhand. In Himachal Pradesh, Congress now boasts 40 MLAs against the BJP's 28, strengthening the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government.

Historically, Congress had not secured any seats in these states during Lok Sabha polls. Interestingly, some losing candidates had defected to the BJP. The polling on July 10 covered seven states: Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

Congress leader KC Venugopal targeted the BJP, stating that the by-elections reflect a strong victory for democracy and a rebuke to the BJP's divisive politics. The INDIA alliance won 10 of the 13 seats, sending a clear message against the BJP's anti-people and anti-youth policies.

Venugopal further attacked the BJP, asserting that attempts to undermine democracy were defeated by the people's will. He highlighted the defeat of opportunistic leaders who had abandoned Congress for the BJP and condemned the use of agencies like ED and CBI to intimidate opposition leaders. Venugopal noted that the Congress's victory in Himachal Pradesh's Dehra and Nalagarh seats bolstered the party's total to 40 seats, rebuffing BJP's politics of defections.

In Uttarakhand, Congress emerged victorious in both Badrinath and Mangalur seats. Venugopal emphasized that the misuse of religion for political gains had been rejected by the electorate. He asserted that the bye-election results symbolize a triumph for democratic values and governance focused on welfare and inclusivity. Congress reiterated its commitment to a pro-people agenda.

Venugopal acknowledged the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi in achieving this victory, particularly crediting the Pradesh Congress Committee leaders and candidates.

Among the constituencies, notables included Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagda, and Maniktala in West Bengal; Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh; Badrinath and Manglaur in Uttarakhand; and Rupauli in Bihar. Congress dominated Himachal Pradesh, while in Punjab, AAP secured a win in Jalandhar West. In Tamil Nadu, DMK took Vikravandi, and in West Bengal, TMC swept all four contested seats. Independent Shankar Singh won in Bihar's Rupauli, and BJP held onto Amarwara in Madhya Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi commented on the results, stating that the people have shown their desire to replace dictatorship with justice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge noted the declining political credibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, with the public now supporting the INDIA bloc. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra congratulated the winning candidates, emphasizing the people's trust in Congress and the INDIA alliance.