Counting of votes for eight assembly seats across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir began at 8 AM on Friday. Bypolls were held for one seat each in Punjab, Telangana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Mizoram, and two assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
Punjab: Tarn Taran Assembly Constituency
Counting of votes for the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll in Punjab will take place on Friday, with major political forces, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), vying for a decisive win.
The constituency recorded a 60.95 percent voter turnout during polling on Tuesday. Security has been intensified at the counting center inside the International College of Nursing in Piddi, officials said. According to Returning Officer Gurmeet Singh, the process will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude after 16 rounds.
The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June, prompting a total of 15 candidates to enter the fray. This marks the seventh bypoll in Punjab since March 2022, with AAP having won five of the previous six. The contest is being viewed as a key test of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership and his party’s continued grip on Punjab politics.
Telangana: Jubilee Hills Assembly Constituency
In Telangana, counting for the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll, viewed as a prestige contest for both the ruling Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), will begin at 8 a.m. on November 14.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner and District Election Officer R V Karnan said the process will open with postal ballots before moving to 10 rounds of vote counting. The polling held on November 11 recorded a 48.49 percent turnout, with 1.94 lakh voters out of 4.01 lakh exercising their franchise.
The bypoll, necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June, has drawn significant attention. Gopinath’s widow, Sunita, is contesting for the BRS, while the BJP has fielded L Deepak Reddy. Congress candidate Naveen Yadav, supported by Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, represents the ruling front. Although the result will not affect the stability of the Congress government, it is being seen as a barometer of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s popularity just months after taking office.
Rajasthan: Anta Assembly Constituency
Rajasthan’s Anta Assembly constituency will witness vote counting on Friday under tight security, officials confirmed. Polling took place earlier this week with a strong voter turnout of 80.21 percent.
According to election officials, the counting will be held at the seminar hall of Government PG College in Baran district under full CCTV surveillance. The bypoll was triggered after BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena lost his assembly membership following a criminal conviction.
Fifteen candidates contested the seat, though the main contest is between BJP’s Morpal Suman and Congress’s Pramod Jain Bhaya. Congress rebel Naresh Meena, who previously sparked controversy during the Deoli-Uniara bypolls, is also in the fray. This is the eighth assembly by-election since the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government took power in December 2023.
Jharkhand: Ghatshila Assembly Constituency
The counting of votes for the Ghatshila bypoll in Jharkhand is set to begin at 8 a.m. on November 14 under heavy security. Polling on November 11 saw an impressive 74.63 percent turnout.
District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi said the counting will take place at Jamshedpur Cooperative College, beginning with postal ballots before moving to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Twenty rounds of counting will be conducted on 19 tables, with results expected to emerge by 5 p.m.
The primary contest is between Somesh Chandra Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former Chief Minister Champai Soren. The JMM’s Somesh Soren is the son of late MLA Ramdas Soren, whose death in August led to the bypoll. The result will play a crucial role in maintaining the JMM-led alliance’s majority in the 81-member assembly.
Odisha: Nuapada Assembly Constituency
Counting of votes for the Nuapada bypoll in Odisha will begin at 8 a.m. on November 14 amid a three-tier security blanket. District Election Officer and Collector Madhusudan Dash confirmed that counting will start with postal ballots at 8 a.m. and EVMs at 8:30 a.m. across 14 tables in 26 rounds.
Central Armed Police Force personnel are guarding the innermost zone, while the state armed police and district forces are handling the middle and outer security layers. The bypoll, necessitated by the death of sitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Rajendra Dholakia in September, has 14 candidates competing. All three major parties, BJP, BJD, and Congress, are confidently claiming victory.
Mizoram: Dampa Assembly Constituency
In Mizoram, votes for the Dampa Assembly bypoll will be counted from 8 a.m. on November 14 at the Mamit Deputy Commissioner’s complex, where authorities have implemented tight security measures.
Election Officer Lalnunfela Chawngthu said counting will begin with posbypollstal ballots followed by Electronic Voting Machines, with five rounds planned. Nine counting tables have been set up, each handled by supervisors and assistants.
The bypoll, held after the death of MNF legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo in July, recorded a high 83.07 percent turnout. Five parties, the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, and People’s Conference were among the contenders. The outcome could influence the upcoming Lai Autonomous District Council elections in December and the Aizawl Municipal Corporation polls next year.