UP Bypoll Results Going Exit Polls Way? NDA Ahead On 6 Seats, SP On 3 In Early Trends

In the UP bypolls, the BJP-led alliance leads in 6 of 9 seats, while the Samajwadi Party leads in 3. Exit polls predicted a similar outcome.

UP Bypolls 2024: The counting of votes for bypolls in nine Assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh is under way amid tight security. In the first significant political showdown between the ruling BJP and its opponents since the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, the BJP-led alliance is ahead with lead in 6 seats against Samajwadi Party that is leading on 3 seats at the time of writing.

NDA was leading on 9 seats at one time, but SP caught up. Exit polls had largely predicted that the BJP alliance will get 6 seats and SP 3.  

Although the outcomes of these bypolls will not alter the composition of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, they are widely regarded as a critical battle of prestige for the BJP and the opposition.

The nine constituencies—Meerapur, Kundarki, Sisamau, Katehari, Phulpur, Majhawan, Ghaziabad, Karhal, and Khair—witnessed vigorous campaigning from major players, including the BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP), and other regional parties, underscoring the high stakes of this electoral contest.

Allegations And Counter-Allegations Ahead Of Counting

The election results will decide the fate of 90 candidates, with Ghaziabad fielding the highest number of 14 contenders and Khair and Sisamau featuring the lowest, with five candidates each.

While the Congress abstained from contesting these bypolls, it extended support to the SP under the INDIA bloc. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested all nine seats independently, whereas Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) fielded candidates in Ghaziabad, Kundarki, and Meerapur. The Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), led by Chandrashekhar Azad, contested all but the Sisamau seat.

Political tensions had escalated ahead of the vote counting, with the BJP and opposition parties trading allegations of election malpractices.

The bypolls, held on November 20, were marred by claims from the SP that local police obstructed voters from reaching polling stations. Following these allegations, the Election Commission acted on an SP complaint and took disciplinary measures against five police officers.

In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP claimed victories in Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair, while the SP secured Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, and Kundarki. Meerapur was won by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), then an SP ally, which has since joined the BJP-led NDA.

In the current Assembly, the BJP holds a dominant position with 251 MLAs, followed by the SP with 105 seats. The BJP’s allies, including Apna Dal (Sonelal), RLD, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and NISHAD Party, bolster its numbers. Meanwhile, the Congress and Jansatta Dal Loktantrik hold two seats each, and the BSP has one.