NEW DELHI: Campaigning has concluded for the upcoming Assembly byelections scheduled for July 10 in 13 constituencies spread across Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.
These bypolls are particularly significant in Himachal Pradesh, where voting will occur in the Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh constituencies, previously held by Independent MLAs who have since joined the BJP. While the Congress has secured a majority with 35 seats by winning four of the six recent bypolls conducted alongside the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is optimistic about potential gains in these three constituencies.
In Dehra, Kamlesh Thakur, Congress candidate and wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, is contesting against BJP's Hoshiyar Singh, formerly an Independent aligned with the Congress.
Former Union Minister and BJP MP from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, spearheaded the campaigning efforts for the bypolls.
The Vikravandi constituency in Tamil Nadu witnessed active campaigning by key leaders from DMK, PMK, and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). The DMK deployed a cadre of Ministers, MLAs, and MPs, dividing responsibilities since the election notification. In response, the PMK endeavored to engage leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in their campaign efforts.
In West Bengal, bypolls are slated for four Assembly seats, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP locking horns. The DMK focused its campaign on the implementation of welfare schemes over the last three years, while the PMK highlighted failures in law and order, particularly the recent hooch tragedy, and delayed provisions for Vanniyars' internal reservations and caste-wise census.
The situation in West Bengal intensified after BJP MLAs switched allegiance to the Trinamool Congress, leaving three seats vacant – Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, and Bagda. The fourth seat, Maniktala, became available following the demise of Trinamool MLA Sadhan Pande, with his wife Supti Pande contesting to uphold her late husband's legacy.
In Punjab, the Jalandhar West Assembly seat opened up after AAP's Sheetal Angural resigned and joined the BJP. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior leaders led the AAP's campaign to bolster support, especially following a lackluster performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
In Bihar's Rupauli seat, Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, pledged his "full support" to RJD candidate Bima Bharti, whom he had previously defeated in the Lok Sabha elections. Rupauli falls under his Purnea Lok Sabha constituency.
Counting for these bypolls is scheduled for July 13, with expectations running high across the political spectrum for significant outcomes in these closely contested constituencies.
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