New Delhi: As the counting is underway for the election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat and 4 assembly seats across UP, Odisha, and Meghalaya, the Samajwadi Party gained a lead in Uttar Pradesh's Suar constituency while the Apna Dal (S) is marching ahead in Chhanbey in the early trends. AAP is leading in Punjab's Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, as per trends, leaving behind Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
The bypolls were conducted for two Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, one each in Meghalaya and Odisha and the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab. A voter turnout of 50.27 per cent was recorded in Jalandhar, while the Suar and Chhanbey Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh registered a polling percentage of 41.78 and 39.51 respectively. The Jharsuguda Assembly segment in Odisha witnessed 68.12 per cent polling while the Sohiong Assembly seat in Meghalaya recorded a voter turnout of 91.56 per cent.
Live Updates: Byelection Results 2023 Live: Aam Aadmi Party Leads In Jalandhar Lok Sabha Constituency
The by-election to Swar and Chhanbey Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will witness a direct contest between the ruling coalition and the opposition Samajwadi Party with the victor getting a moral boost before next year's Lok Sabha polls. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to sit out the by-elections, the Congress has fielded its candidate only in Chhanbey and the political leaders are either campaigning in Karnataka or busy with the urban local bodies elections of Uttar Pradesh.
The focus of the bypolls, however, will be on Swar which was previously represented by Abdullah Azam Khan, the son of senior SP leader Azam Khan. The Swar assembly seat was declared vacant on February 13 after a Moradabad court sentenced Abdullah Azam Khan to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.
Notably, the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary due to a cardiac arrest during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. It witnessed a four-cornered electoral battle involving the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).