Electoral results for three Lok Sabha and 29 Assembly constituencies across 13 States and Union Territory of Dadar Nagar Havelli where counting to be held on Tuesday would be keenly watched and weighed by the BJP, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress and the incumbent State Chief Ministers, wanting to re-assert their political clout and ‘fortify’ themselves against the ‘threats’ from within and outside to their leadership.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has already ‘dented’ BJP by wooing its MLAs to her party fold post her victory in the Assembly polls, may be looking at winning the Dinhata seat in North-Bengal held by the BJP’s Nisith Pramanik who resigned after gaining berth in the Modi-Government , Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar would like to win Tarapur and Kusheshwarsthan assembly seats to prove that he continues to have a tight grip over the voters . By winning byelections, Kumar would like to signal his supremacy not only to the rival RJD but also to the ally the BJP which is averse to him gaining more political weight in the state.But more importantly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who have a lot in the stake in the by-election outcome in their respective states as both are wary of their high commands as also of the ‘rivals’ from within. Gehlot has already faced ‘rebellion’ from his Deputy-Chief Minister Sachin Pillot and would be anxious not to loose by-poll contests in the state that may provide extra-fuel to his political enemies.
In Rajasthan, the bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of Congress MLA from Vallabhnagar Gajendra Singh Shaktawat and BJP legislator from Dhariawad Gautam Lal Meena. The change of Chief Ministers in the BJP -ruled states like that of veteran B S Yediyurappa in Karnataka and induction of young Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the election-bound Uttarakhand has sent a messaage to old-guards like Chouhan who would want to score a definitive win in three assembly and one Lok Sabha seats to prove a point to the BJP leadership of his continued hold in the state. The assembly seats of Prithvipur, Jobat and Raigaon and Lok Sabha seat of kahndwa have undergone polling on October 30.
The loss of Damoh poll in April 2021 which the Congress candidate Ajay tandon had won comfortably against the BJP has already put pressure on the Chief Minister.
The poll results would also reflect and validate the strength of farmers protest against three central farm laws as in Haryana, the by-election to Ellenabad Assembly constituency was necessitated by the resignation of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala as MLA in protest against the Centre's new farm laws.
The assembly by-elections which saw a high turnout were held in five seats in Assam, four in West Bengal, three each in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, two each in Bihar, Karnataka and Rajasthan and one seat each is in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Telangana.
Out of the 29 Assembly seats, the BJP had won in around half a dozen constituencies earlier, the Congress had nine, while the rest were with the regional parties.
The seats where Lok Sabha by-elections were held are Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.
In all the three Lok Sabha constituencies, the sitting members had died.
The Mandi seat fell vacant after the death of Ramswaroop Sharma (BJP) in March. The bye-election to the Khandwa parliamentary constituency was necessitated following the death of BJP member Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan while in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, it was due to the demise of Independent Lok Sabha member Mohan Delkar.
In Mandi, Pratibha Singh is pitted against BJP's Khushal Singh Thakur, a Kargil war hero.
In Assam, the ruling BJP has fielded candidates in three seats leaving the other two to alliance partner UPPL. The Congress put up nominees in all five, while its former allies, the AIUDF and the BPF, are contesting in two and one seats respectively.
In Karanataka, the by-election was necessitated following the death of Sindgi JD(S) legislator M C Managuli and BJP's C M Udasi from Hangal and will be the first electoral test for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who had replaced Yediyurappa.