8 years ago
New Delhi:
Voting was held for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats, including the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and 10 assembly constituencies spread across 10 states. Besides Kairana in western UP, by-elections were held in Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, and Nagaland Lok Sabha seat. The Kairana bypoll saw a joint opposition taking on the ruling BJP. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate for the by-election. She contested against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The joint opposition, which includes Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, hopes that by consolidating anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections, where the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat.
In Mahrashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Congress -- have campaigned aggressively for the Lok Sabha by-elections. The outcome is significant as it is likely to have a bearing on their future course. The Shiv Sena fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the BJP which has in-turn nominated Rajendra Gavit, who switched over from the Congress. In Bhandra-Gondia, Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress earlier this year, necessitating the by-election. The ruling BJP has locked horns with the NCP for retaining the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat while in Palghar, it is in a direct fight with the ally Shiv Sena even though the contest is multi-cornered.
The assembly by-elections took place in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon constituency, Uttar Prades's Noorpur, Bihar's Jokihat, Jharkhand's Gomia and Silli, Kerala's Chengannur, Meghalaya's Ampati, Punjab's Shahkot, Uttarakhand's Tharali and West Bengal's Maheshtala. General election to Karnataka's Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat also took place on Monday.
The counting of votes for both Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections will take place on May 31.
The joint opposition, which includes Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, hopes that by consolidating anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections, where the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat.
In Mahrashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Congress -- have campaigned aggressively for the Lok Sabha by-elections. The outcome is significant as it is likely to have a bearing on their future course. The Shiv Sena fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the BJP which has in-turn nominated Rajendra Gavit, who switched over from the Congress. In Bhandra-Gondia, Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress earlier this year, necessitating the by-election. The ruling BJP has locked horns with the NCP for retaining the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat while in Palghar, it is in a direct fight with the ally Shiv Sena even though the contest is multi-cornered.
The assembly by-elections took place in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon constituency, Uttar Prades's Noorpur, Bihar's Jokihat, Jharkhand's Gomia and Silli, Kerala's Chengannur, Meghalaya's Ampati, Punjab's Shahkot, Uttarakhand's Tharali and West Bengal's Maheshtala. General election to Karnataka's Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat also took place on Monday.
The counting of votes for both Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections will take place on May 31.
