Assembly Bypolls: Tamil Nadu's Vikravandi Records Highest Turnout; Sporadic Incidents Of Violence In U'khand, Bengal

According to the Election Commission, the highest polling percentage was recorded at Tamil Nadu's Vikravandi assembly seat, while Uttarakhand's Badrinath seat saw the lowest turnout.

Women after casting vote at a polling station during the Uttarakhand Assembly bypolls, in Chamoli district on July 10.

Source : PTI

In the first electoral exercise since the Lok Sabha elections, bypolls across seven states in thirteen assembly constituencies concluded successfully on Wednesday, barring a few incidents of violence in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. Overall, a morderate to high voter turnout was recorded in the states where bypolls were conducted today from 7 am to 6 pm.

According to the Voter Turnout app of the Election Commission (EC), the highest polling percentage among the 13 constituencies was recorded at Tamil Nadu's Vikravandi assembly seat. Uttarakhand's Badrinath seat saw the lowest turnout.

These bypolls will decide the fate of several veterans as well as some debutantes, including Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Uttarakhand Bypoll

The Manglaur bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari in October, last year. The Badrinath seat fell vacant after the resignation of sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari. He had switched to the BJP in March.

In Uttarakhand's Manglaur constituency, four people were sustained injuries after a clash broke out at a polling booth between supporters of rival parties, news agency PTI reported.

A report stated that the clash took place at booth number 53-54 in Libbarheri in Manglaur, Roorkee Civil Line Kotwali in-charge R K Saklani told PTI. Some reports also claimed that there was firing at the booth. The police, however, denied the reports.

In the purported videos of the clash that surfaced, Congress candidate and former MLA Qazi Nizamuddin was seen taking a man in bloodstained clothes to the hospital. He accused the BJP of throttling democracy by sowing seeds of hatred, PTI reported.

In another video, he was seen embracing an injured party worker at the hospital.

The violence allegedly erupted at the booth after some people, who had their their faces half-covered, began stopping people from voting, PTI reported citing sources. 

Around 68.24 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in Manglaur, while Badrinath reported a turnout of 49.80 per cent.

West Bengal Bypoll

In West Bengal, violence was reported in Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagdah assembly segments. The BJP accused Trinamool Congress activists of assaulting its booth agents and preventing its candidates from visiting some polling stations.

BJP candidates Binay Kumar Biswas and Manoj Kumar Biswas from Badgah and Ranaghat Dakshin respectively, claimed that they were not allowed to visit some booths.

Manoj Kumar Biswas even alleged that the TMC ransacked the saffron party's camp offices in a few areas, PTI reported. 

TMC acitivists allgedly greeted BJP's Maniktala candidate Kalyan Chaubey with go back slogans and protested as he tried to enter a booth in the constituency. TMC, however, denied the allegations and calling them baseless.

Following the incidents, BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the incidents.

The highest turnout in Bengal was recorded in Raiganj at 67.12 per cent, followed by Ranaghat Dakshin at 65.37 per cent, Bagda at 65.15 per cent and Maniktala at 51.39 per cent.

Bihar Bypoll

The Rapauli bypoll in Bihar was necessitated after sitting MLA Bima Bharti resigned from the party. She had won the seat for the Janata Dal (United) many times in the past, but quit the party to contest the Lok Sabha polls on a Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket. Eleven candidates were in the fray for the assembly seat.

The JD(U) nominated Kaladhar Prasad Mandal for the bypoll. Mandal had contested the assembly polls in 2020 from the Rupauli seat as an Independent. Former MLA Shankar Singh, who recently quit the LJP (Ram Vilas), also contested as an independent.t

Two officials were injured when a mob attacked a police party in Purnea, PTI reported. Sub Divisional Police Officer (Sadar) Pushkar Kumar stated that polling was hindered briefly due to the clash. A sub-inspector and a constable were injured in the attack.

According to the state election office, the Rupauli seat witnessed a voter turnout of 57.25 per cent, which is down from the turnout of 61.19 per cent in the 2020 assembly election.

Himachal Pradesh Bypoll

In Himachal Pradesh, the seats fell vacant after the three independent legislators Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), and K L Thakur (Nalagarh), who had voted in favour of the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls in February this year.

The three legislators had resigned from the House on March 22, following the incident.

The highest polling percentage was registered in Nalagarh assembly constituency at 78.82, followed by Hamirpur with 65.78 and Dehra with 63.89 per cent.

Punjab Bypoll

In Punjab, the bypoll was held for the Jalandhar West assembly segment, which recorded a voter turnout of 51.30 per cent.

Voters were gifted plants at several polling stations. 

The ruling AAP fielded Mohinder Bhagat, the son of former BJP MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal from the seat. Bhagat had swtiched to AAP after quitting the BJP in 2023.

The BJP placed it bet on Angural, who joined the saffron party after resigning from AAP in March. Angural had won the Jalandhar West seat on an AAP ticket in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

The Congress fielded Surinder Kaur, a former senior deputy mayor and five-time municipal councillor in Jalandhar. She is also a prominent Dalit leader of the Ravidassia community.

Tamil Nadu & Madhya Pradesh Bypolls

Tamil Nadu's Vikravandi assembly constituency witnessed a brisk polling. Voters queued up in large numbers at the polling stations to cast ballots since the morning.

As per Election Commission's data, a total of 82.48 per cent of voters exercised their franchise here.

The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of DMK legislator N Pughazhendhi.

The assembly seat witnessed a triangular battle in Vikravandi. Ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) candidate Anniyur Siva (alias Sivashanmugam A) was pitted against Naam Tamilar Katchi's K Abinaya and Pattali Makkal Katchi's (PMK) C Anbumani.

Bypolls was also held for Madhya Pradesh's Amarwara (ST) assembly seat, which recorded a polling percentage of 78.71.

In MP, the by-election was necessitated after three-time Congress MLA Kamlesh Shah quit the party and switched to the BJP in March.