NEW DELHI: Interest around assembly byelections is mostly limited to the states, more so, if the contest does not involve heavyweights. However, the assembly bypolls today for 5 seats spread across four states will be keenly watched when the results are out on June 23 – as this will be the first electoral contest post Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor – India’s military response that included air and ground strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Today’s bypolls include two assembly seats in Gujarat, one each in Kerala, West Bengal and Punjab. The fact that assembly elections are due in two of these states – Kerala and West Bengal early next year – makes this mini electoral contest all the more interesting.
Congress, which has huge stakes in Kerala, has already announced that the Nilambur by-election is the semi-final before the 2026 assembly polls. Kerala LoP and Congress MLA VD Satheesan has claimed that victory in the bypoll will mark the beginning of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) return to the state.“This is a political contest, a direct fight between the UDF and the LDF. It is the semi-final leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections, and we are confident of winning by a significant margin. We see this as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi government accountable, a government that has been in power for the past nine years,” Satheesan said.Congress got a boost with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joining the campaign to secure a win for the party. Congress, which has lost two consecutive elections in the state to the Left Democratic Front, will be keen to settle scores and return to power. However, given party’s choppy relations with Shashi Tharoor, who is MP from Thiruvananthpuram, and a resurgent BJP going all out to spread its influence in the state, the road to power will not be easy for the grand old party.
Kaliganj heats up amid riot shadow
Moving over to West Bengal – another state where assembly elections are due early next year, the Kaliganj assembly bypoll in the state’s Nadia district is shaping up to be a triangular contest among the TMC, BJP, and Congress-Left alliance.The electoral discourse here in the run up to the bypoll has been dominated by identity politics, post-Murshidabad riot anxieties and a nationalist surge after Operation Sindoor.The bypoll is also being closely watched due to the recent Murshidabad riots in which three persons were killed and several people rendered homeless, discontent over the SSC recruitment scam, and the changing electoral arithmetic since the 2024 general elections.In Kaliganj, identity and legacy remain central to the electoral battle. While the TMC has accused the BJP of communal polarisation, the Murshidabad riots and sporadic communal skirmishes in parts of the state have only added fuel to the saffron party’s campaign in its bid to break the Trinamool Congress stronghold on this minority-dominated seat.
Ludhiana West Bypoll a Crucial Test for AAP, Congress, SAD and BJP
The Ludhiana West by-election, set to take place on Thursday, is shaping up to be a high-stakes political showdown that could redefine the urban political narrative in Punjab. While the seat itself is just one among many, the implications of this bypoll stretch far beyond its borders.For the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the contest is a crucial opportunity to reaffirm its dominance in Punjab following the death of its sitting MLA, Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, in January. Retaining the seat would help AAP maintain its urban clout and narrative of continuity.Facing off against AAP is the Congress, looking to claw back a constituency it once firmly held—six times in the past. A win here would signal a revival of urban support for the party, which has struggled to reclaim lost ground in the state since AAP’s rise.However, the contest isn’t only a two-way battle. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also keenly watching the outcome to assess its urban appeal in Punjab, a state where it remains on the fringes post its breakup with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).For the SAD, the stakes are equally high. The bypoll is being viewed as a test of leadership for party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose party is still trying to bounce back from a string of electoral defeats. A respectable showing here could breathe some life into the party’s flagging morale.
Gujarat gears up for bypolls in Visavadar and Kadi
By-elections in Gujarat’s Visavadar and Kadi assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday, with the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) locked in a three-cornered battle in both seats. Voting will take place from 7 am to 8 pm, and results will be declared on June 23, according to election officials.The Visavadar seat in Junagadh, vacant since former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani defected to the BJP in December 2023, has attracted high-profile candidates. The BJP has fielded Kirit Patel, Congress has nominated Nitin Ranpariya, while AAP has placed its former Gujarat president Gopal Italia, in the contest.In Kadi (Mehsana district), a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates and lying vacant since BJP MLA Karsan Solanki’s death in February, the ruling party has fielded Rajendra Chavda. Congress has turned to Ramesh Chavda, a former MLA who won the seat in 2012, while AAP is banking on Jagdish Chavda.Polling will take place through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at 294 stations in each constituency. Gujarat government has also declared a public holiday in both constituencies on polling day to encourage voter participation.
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