By-Election Result / AAP wins in Ludhiana; BJP loses again in Visavadar

By-Election Result: The results of the by-elections held on June 19 on five assembly seats in four states of the country—Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and West Bengal—leave many messages in the political equations. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have strengthened their hold by performing brilliantly, the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got a mixed response.

Punjab: AAP flag in Ludhiana West

AAP once again retained the Ludhiana West seat of Punjab. The party's candidate Sanjeev Arora left behind senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a decisive margin. By the 13th round, Arora had got a lead of more than 10 thousand votes. This victory is not only a morale booster for the Bhagwant Mann government, but also shows that AAP still has a strong hold in the urban areas of the state.

Gujarat: AAP's comeback in Visavadar, BJP dominates Kadi

After an interesting contest in Gujarat's Visavadar seat, Aam Aadmi Party's Gopal Italia defeated BJP candidate Kirit Patel by 17,581 votes. This seat was vacant after former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani joined the BJP. At the same time, BJP's Rajendra Chavda won by more than 39 thousand votes on the reserved seat of Kadi. Congress's Ramesh Chavda remained in second place here.

West Bengal: TMC's strength remains in Kaliganj

TMC has again strengthened its hold on Kaliganj seat of Nadia district. Alifa Ahmed, daughter of late MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, took a huge lead, leaving Congress and BJP behind. This seat shows the success of both TMC's strategy and public support with about 70% voting.

Kerala: Congress comeback in Nilambur

Congress candidate Aryadan Shaukat leads by more than 11,000 votes in Nilambur seat. The by-election was held here after the resignation of former MLA PV Anwar. This result is being considered as a lifeline for the Congress in South India, especially amid the opposition to the Left government.

Political meaning and message

• The results of these by-elections give many messages:
• AAP is moving towards presenting itself as a national alternative with a lead in both Punjab and Gujarat.
• TMC is maintaining its hold in West Bengal and the trust of voters remains intact even after the change of leadership.
• Congress has certainly got relief in Kerala, but it still faces a tough challenge in Gujarat and Punjab.
• BJP has got mixed success - a big win in Kadi but losing a seat like Visavadar is worrying for the party.