The counting of votes for bypoll in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam began at 8:00 am on Friday, officials said. The counting, which would decide the fate of 17 candidates, is taking place at the Government Higher Secondary School in Budgam, they said.

All arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the exercise, officials added.

Ahead of the vote count for various by-elections on Friday, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader Sheikh Bashir Ahmad is hopeful of the party's candidate winning the Nagrota assembly by-elections.

"Umeed ke upar dunia kayam hai. We, too, are very hopeful. The administration's attitude has not been good. I had told them on the first day itself that their system is not good," the JKNC leader said.

#WATCH | JKNC leader Sheikh Bashir Ahmad says, "Umeed ke upar dunia kayam hai. We, too, are very hopeful. The administration's attitude has not been good. I had told them on the first day itself that their system is not good...People are coming in (for counting) whenever they… https://t.co/f1er7I87se pic.twitter.com/WeoWN6hR9F

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

VIDEO | Punjab: Tight security at Tarn Taran counting centre to ensure peaceful and transparent bypoll process.#Punjab #bypoll
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/5UofNe1XIO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025

The counting of votes polled in the by-election to the Dampa assembly seat in Mizoram's Mamit district began on Friday morning, amid tight security arrangements. The counting began at 8:00 am at the Mamit deputy commissioner complex.

District Election Officer Lalnunfela Chawngthu said postal ballots were being counted first, and then the votes cast in EVMs will be taken up. There will be five rounds of counting.

"There is only one counting hall and nine counting tables, including one for postal ballots, and each counting table will be monitored by a supervisor and two assistants," he said.

The counting of votes for the Nuapada assembly bypoll in Odisha began at 8:00 am on Friday under a three-tier security arrangement, an official said. District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Nuapada Collector Madhusudan Dash said the counting of postal ballots was underway.

The counting of votes in EVMs started at 8:30 am at 14 tables. There will be 26 rounds of vote counting.

Tarn Taran District Public Relations Officer Inderjit Singh has provided a detailed update on the counting process for the ongoing elections, emphasising the robust security measures and transparent procedures put in place. 

He said, "We have two counting centres. In a total of 14 counters, there will be 16 rounds of counting and the result will be declared for each round. A micro-observer is present with each counting officer. The entire process is transparent. The counting agents were issued an identity card, and the police checked everyone's ID before letting them inside."

#WATCH | Tarn Taran, Punjab | District PRO Inderjit Singh says, "We have two counting centres... In a total of 14 counters, there will be 16 rounds of counting and the result will be declared for each round. A micro-observer is present with each counting officer. The entire… https://t.co/x8bdAtn0if pic.twitter.com/l7O6CdFLTt

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

#WATCH | Visuals from outside a counting centre in Jammu. Counting of votes for the Nagrota Assembly by-election began at 8 am.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of sitting BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana; by-elections were held on November 11. pic.twitter.com/bPvbCi57Xh

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

Amid tight security, counting of votes in the by-election for Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency, crucial for the ruling Congress government and also BRS, began on Friday with officials taking up postal ballots first. The counting process would be taken up in 10 rounds.

The officials said 48.49% of votes were cast on November 11 when the polling was held. The total number of eligible voters was 4.01 lakh, while 1.94 lakh voters exercised their franchise.

#WATCH | Telangana: Visuals from a counting centre set up at Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium in Yousufguda, Hyderabad. Counting of votes for the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election began at 8 am.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of sitting BRS MLA Maganti… pic.twitter.com/w1Hvcl7Nbe

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

#WATCH | Punjab | Visuals from outside a counting centre at Mai Bhago International College of Nursing. Counting of votes for the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election began at 8 am.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of sitting AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal. pic.twitter.com/SsD94tyK7J

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

#WATCH | Voting for Anta by-elections was held on 11th November. With adequate preparations, voting was done in a peaceful atmosphere. Similarly, during the counting of votes too, Police and Administration have made all preparations...," says Baran ASP Rajesh Choudhary. https://t.co/bKbHXsUv0v pic.twitter.com/vk4lSQIuUm

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

The Assembly by-election for Jharkhand's Ghatshila seat, necessitated by the death of sitting Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Ramdas Soren, has escalated into a major battle between the ruling JMM and the Opposition BJP, even though the result will not threaten the Hemant Soren government's comfortable majority. There are 13 candidates in the the contest for assembly bypolls but the main contest is likely to be between Somesh Chandra Soren of the JMM and the BJP's Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren.

#WATCH | Visuals from outside a counting centre in Baran, Rajasthan. Counting of votes for the Assembly by-election will begin at 8 am.
The seat fell vacant following the disqualification of BJP leader Kanwar Lal Meena from the Rajasthan Assembly; by-elections were held on… pic.twitter.com/bt1kb8JSPt

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025

The assembly elections in Mizoram are a critical event for the entire Northeast region. The contest pitted the incumbent Mizo National Front (MNF) against the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), the Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MNF, which had secured 26 seats in 2018 assembly polls, faced a significant challenge from the ZPM (eight seats in 2018) and the Congress (five seats).

The by-election is seen as the first test of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's popularity amid Opposition allegations of poor governance during his last year in office. Abdullah's real target remains the People's Democratic Party (PDP) - the National Conference's (NC) main rival in the Valley. 

The Budgam by-election is widely viewed as a contest between the NC and the PDP, even though several other candidates, including from the BJP, are also in the race.

In Nagrota, the main contest is between Devyani Rana of the BJP, Shamim Begum of the National Conference and Harsh Dev Singh of J&K National Panthers Party.

The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-poll is widely seen as a test of strength for the Congress, an attempt by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi to revive its fortunes, and the Bharatiya Janata Party looking to establish itself in Telangana. There are a total of 59 candidates in the contest.

The electoral race is primarily a triangular battle between the Congress, the BRS, and the BJP. The Congress has fielded Naveen Yadav, who is backed by Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, and the BJP has put up Lankala Deepak Reddy.

The BRS has nominated Maganti Sunitha, whose husband, Maganthi Gopinath, was the sitting MLA. 

For the BRS, a win will signal resurgence and validation, proving its resilience and ability to retain established strongholds in Hyderabad despite recent setbacks in the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It will also boost morale ahead of the 2028 Assembly election. And a loss would deepen that post-electoral decline, making it harder for the BRS to regain political relevance and consolidate its position as the main opposition force.

By-elections held on Tuesday saw a wide disparity in voter participation across India. High turnouts were recorded in Odisha's Nuapada (83.45%) and Mizoram's Dampa (82.34%). Other seats with strong polling included Rajasthan's Anta (80.32%), J&K's Nagrota (75.08%), and Jharkhand's Ghatshila (74.63%). Conversely, participation was significantly lower in Telangana's Jubilee Hills, which recorded the lowest figure at 48.49%, and in J&K's Budgam, which saw a 50.02% turnout. Tarn Taran in Punjab registered a moderate 60.95% turnout.

Counting of votes for 8 assembly seats across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will begin soon. So will the counting in Bihar, where the opposition Mahagathbandhan and the ruling NDA are locked in a fierce contest.

Jubilee Hills, Telangana - The Jubilee Hills bypoll was held following the death of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year. 

Nuapada, Odisha - The Nuapada assembly bypoll was held following the death of sitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA and former minister Rajendra Dholakia. 

Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir - The Budgam bypoll was necessitated due to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's resignation from the constituency. 

Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir - The Nagrota bypoll was held following the death of BJP legislator Devender Singh Rana last year. 

Anta, Rajasthan - The Anta bypoll was held following the disqualification of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena. 

Dampa, Mizoram - The Dampa bypoll was held following the death of Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA Lalrintluanga Sailo. 

Tarn Taran, Punjab - The Tarn Taran bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June this year. 

Ghatshila, Jharkhand - The Ghatsila bypoll was held following the death of JMM MLA and state minister Ramdas Soren in August.