Stage Set for Round 2 of INDIA vs NDA as 13 Seats in 7 States Go to Bypolls

Key Highlights:

• Bypolls to be held on July 10 across 13 Assembly constituencies in seven states.
• High-stakes contest between the opposition INDIA bloc and BJP-led NDA.
• Key constituencies include four seats in West Bengal and significant seats in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and others.

States and Constituencies:

West Bengal

1. Raiganj: BJP’s Krishna Kalyani joined TMC but lost in Lok Sabha polls. He contests against BJP’s Manas Kumar Ghosh and CPM’s Mohit Sengupta.
2. Bagdah: BJP’s Biswajit Das returned to TMC but lost in Lok Sabha polls. TMC’s Madhuparna Thakur contests against BJP’s Binay Kumar Biswas.
3. Ranaghat Dakshin: BJP MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari joined TMC but lost in Lok Sabha polls. TMC’s Adhikari contests against BJP’s Manoj Kumar Biswas.

Uttarakhand

1. Badrinath: Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari joined BJP. BJP fields Bhandari, while Congress fields Lakhpat Butola.
2. Manglaur: BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari’s death necessitated bypoll. BJP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana contests against Congress’s Qazi Nizamuddin.

Himachal Pradesh

1. Dehra: BJP’s Hoshiar Singh contests against Congress’s Kamlesh Thakur.
2. Hamirpur: BJP’s Ashish Sharma contests against Congress’s Pushpendra Verma.
3. Nalagarh: BJP’s KL Thakur contests against Congress’s Hardeep Singh Bawa.

Tamil Nadu

1. Vikravandi: Bypoll after DMK MLA N Pughazenthi’s death. DMK’s Anniyur Siva, PMK’s C Anbumani, and NTK’s Dr. Abhinaya contest.

Bihar

1. Rupauli: JD(U) MLA Bima Bharti joined RJD. RJD’s Bharti contests against JD(U)’s Kaladhar Mandal.

Madhya Pradesh

1. Amarwara (ST): Congress MLA Kamlesh Shah joined BJP. BJP fields Shah against Congress’s Dheeran Shah Invati.

Punjab

1. Jalandhar West: AAP MLA Sheetal Angural joined BJP. AAP’s Mohinder Bhagat contests against Congress’s Surinder Kaur and BJP’s Angural.

Political Stakes and Key Issues:

West Bengal

• Significant Matua community presence in Bagdah and Ranaghat Dakshin.
• TMC and BJP battle for dominance in a state crucial for both parties.

Uttarakhand

• Badrinath seat holds religious significance with Badrinarayan Temple and Joshimath.
• Manglaur is a Muslim-majority constituency with historical wins by Congress.

Himachal Pradesh

• Congress and BJP vie for control in a state with recent political shifts.

Tamil Nadu

• Vikravandi bypoll involves DMK, PMK, and NTK, focusing on the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.

Bihar

• Rupauli bypoll sees a direct contest between RJD and JD(U) in a significant local community.

Madhya Pradesh

• Amarwara (ST) is a tribal-dominated constituency with a prestige battle for Congress and BJP.

Punjab

• Jalandhar West bypoll is a prestige battle for AAP with high involvement from Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.

As these bypolls approach, both alliances are preparing for a critical round of electoral contests that could influence political dynamics in these states. The results will be closely watched for indications of broader national trends.