New Delhi, June 24: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) emerged as key winners in the by-elections to five assembly seats held across four Indian states, as results were declared on Monday.
The AAP won the Ludhiana West seat in Punjab and Visavadar seat in Gujarat, while the TMC swept the Kaliganj seat in West Bengal. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a victory in Nilambur, Kerala, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained the Kadi seat in Gujarat.
The by-elections, held on June 19, were necessitated due to the deaths of sitting legislators in three constituencies — Kadi, Kaliganj, and Ludhiana West — and resignations in Visavadar and Nilambur.
Vote counting began at 8 a.m. under tight security, with polling described as largely peaceful, barring minor incidents.
The contests saw intense political battles between the ruling BJP, opposition Congress, AAP, TMC, and Pinarayi Vijayan’s LDF in Kerala. The elections are seen as a mini-referendum ahead of upcoming state and national elections, with both the BJP-led NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc fielding candidates.
Among the five constituencies, Nilambur in Kerala registered the highest voter turnout at 73.26%, while Ludhiana West in Punjab saw the lowest at 51.33%.
The results reflect shifting political dynamics, particularly in Gujarat where AAP’s win in Visavadar adds momentum to its national ambitions, and in West Bengal where the TMC continues to consolidate its position despite challenges from both the BJP and the Left-Congress alliance.
