Patna:
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.
Here are the top 10 points from this big story:
- Bypolls were held for two assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Punjab, Telangana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Mizoram.
- In Jammu and Kashmir, polling was held in Budgam after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, after winning both seats in 2024, retained Ganderbal. The main contenders in Budgam now are Aga Syed Mehmood of the ruling National Conference and Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi of Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples' Democratic Party.
- J&K's Nagrota seat fell vacant after the death of BJP legislator Devender Singh Rana last year. The main contest is between Devyani Rana of the BJP, Shamim Begum of the National Conferenc+e and Harsh Dev Singh of J&K National Panthers Party.
- Punjab's Tarn Taran is set to witness a triangular contest too, with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party hoping to retain the seat held by its late MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal. AAP has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu - a three-time MLA from Tarn Taran, who joined the party in July.
- The Congress has fielded its Tarn Taran district unit committee chief Karanbir Singh Burj. The SAD is betting on Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, a retired government school principal and the wife of a "Dharmi Fauji".
- Bypoll was held in Anta constituency of Rajasthan's Baran district after BJP's sitting MLA Kanwar Lal Meena was convicted in a case dating back to 2005 and got disqualified. Now, there is a two-way contest between Congress's Pramod Jai Bhaya and BJP's Morpal Suman.
- Jharkhand's Ghatshila constituency is witnessing a high-profile contest between Babulal Soren, son of the BJP's former Chief Minister Champai Soren and Mahagathbandhan candidate Somesh Chandra Soren.
- The Nuapada Assembly constituency fell vacant following the death of senior BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia in September. The BJP has fielded his son Jay Dholakia against the BJD's women's wing chief Snehangini Chhuria. The Congress candidate is veteran tribal leader Ghasiram Majhi.
- Telangana's Jubilee Hills seat saw an intense contest between Congress's Naveen Yadav, a leader from the Backwards Classes, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi's Sunitha. The BJP has fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy.
- In Mizoram's Dampa constituency, a four-cornered contest has kept the state riveted. The key contenders are Lalhmingthanga Sailo of BJP, John Rotluangliana of the Congress, former state minister R Lalthangliana of MNF and Vanlalsailova of Zoram People's Movement. The bypolls had to be held due to the death of MNF's sitting MLA Lalrintluanga Sailo in July.
