New Delhi: The results of assembly bypolls held across five constituencies in four states have delivered a symbolic boost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a morale-lifter for the Congress in Kerala, and setbacks for both the BJP and Congress in other states, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued its dominance in West Bengal.
In Punjab and Gujarat, AAP retained two crucial seats of Ludhiana West and Visavadar. AAP leader and former Gujarat unit chief Gopal Italia defeated the BJP in Visavadar, a BJP stronghold. In Ludhiana West, AAP’s Sanjeev Arora won by a margin of over 10,000 votes, reaffirming the party’s support base in Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
Congress win in Kerala ahead of state elections
The Congress tasted success in Kerala’s Nilambur constituency, where Aryadan Shoukath of the United Democratic Front (UDF) defeated CPI(M)’s M Swaraj by over 11,000 votes. The win, viewed as a prestige battle for the Congress, particularly for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who campaigned extensively in the region, comes as a shot in the arm ahead of the 2026 state elections.
Reacting to the result, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a post on X wrote, “We worked as a team, each one with commitment and single pointed focus, that is the most important lesson of this success.” Heartiest congratulations to Aryadan Shoukath whose dedication and service have shone through and to all the leaders and workers of the UDF whose efforts made this victory possible.
“Most of all a big thank you to my sisters and brothers of Nilambur for your support. Your trust and belief in the values of our constitution, and in the UDF’s vision for progress will be the guiding light for our way forward.”
TMC retains hold in Bengal
However, the Congress suffered losses in Gujarat, where it slipped to the third position in both seats, and in West Bengal, where the TMC retained the Kaliganj seat with a thumping margin of over 50,000 votes. The BJP, which had fielded candidates in all five bypolls, managed to win only the Kadi seat in Gujarat, a reserved SC constituency.
TMC’s Alifa Ahmed, daughter of the late MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, won Kaliganj by over 50,000 votes. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee hailed the victory as a reaffirmation of people’s faith in her government. Meanwhile, the BJP claimed that the party gained its highest-ever share of Hindu votes in the constituency, despite the loss.
Reacting to the results, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the bypolls mark the beginning of a political shift ahead of 2027. “Some people say this is the semi-final to 2027. We can think that if this is the semi-final and 2022 was a storm, then there will be a typhoon in 2027,” Kejriwal told reporters,” he said.
