New Delhi: While all the focus was on Maharashtra and Jharkhand, 50 seats in 14 other states had by-elections. Of these seats, 48 were for state assemblies and two were for parliament.
By-elections were scheduled for two assembly constituencies in Sikkim on November 13, 2024: Soreng-Chakung and Namchi-Singhithang. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) won both seats unopposed when opposing candidates withdrew from the race. The SKM candidates were Aditya Golay for Soreng-Chakung and Satish Chandra Rai for Namchi-Singhithang.
Wayanad
The most high-profile contest was the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala. This seat was previously won by Congress. A by-election became necessary after the incumbent, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, resigned following his election from Rae Bareli. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi’s sister, contested the seat as the Congress candidate and won with a margin of over 4 lakh votes. Though Congress was expected to win the seat comfortably, the voter turnout dropped significantly – from 72.92% in the previous election to 64.27% this time – raising concerns in the Congress camp. For comparison, Rahul Gandhi’s victory margin in Wayanad was over 350,000 votes, while in the 2019 general election, his margin was over 430,000. The Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Satyan Mokeri finished second, while Navya Haridas, a two-time Kozhikode Corporation councillor fielded by the BJP, finished a disappointing third.
Also read: Priyanka Gandhi’s Wayanad Win Will Have National Consequences
Nanded
Nanded in Maharashtra was the second parliamentary seat that went to by-elections. The seat, previously held by the Congress party, became vacant after the death of sitting MP Vasantrao Chavan. The Congress fielded his son Ravindra Chavan, while the BJP nominated Santukrao Hambarde. Despite Congress’s strong performance in the 2024 General Election where they won 13 out of 17 seats, BJP’s Dr. Santukrao Marotrao Hambarde secured an unexpected victory with a margin exceeding 36,000 votes.
Bengal
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) dominated the West Bengal by-elections, winning all six contested constituencies. The party retained five of its strongholds and notably captured Madarihat from the BJP. These by-elections were held after the incumbent MLAs stepped down to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In a significant shift, the CPI(M) and Congress contested separately for the first time since 2021, departing from their traditional alliance in the state. Despite election-related violence, including the death of a TMC worker in Bhatpara near Naihati constituency, and protests at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the TMC maintained its commanding position across all constituencies.
Karnataka
In Karnataka, the Congress party secured a clean sweep by winning all three by-election seats. The victories came in Channapatna (previously held by JD(S)), Shiggaon (previously BJP), and Sandur (ST) (previously Congress). These by-elections were held after the sitting MLAs won Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general election.
In a significant victory in Channapatna, Congress candidate C. P. Yogeshwar, a five-time MLA and former minister who recently switched from BJP, defeated JD(S)’s Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda. The Shiggaon constituency saw Congress’s Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan triumph over BJP’s Bharath Bommai, son of former CM Basavaraj Bommai. In Sandur, Congress candidate E. Annapurna, wife of Congress MP E. Tukaram, won against BJP’s Bangaru Hanumanthu, who heads the party’s ST Morcha in Karnataka.
Uttar Pradesh
Nine assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh went to by-elections: Ghaziabad, Karhal, Katehari, Khair, Kundarki, Majhawan, Meerapur, Phulpur, and Sishamau. Most vacancies arose when sitting MLAs resigned to contest Lok Sabha seats, while the Sishamau seat became vacant after the incumbent MLA’s disqualification following a criminal conviction.
The previous representation of these seats was diverse: BJP held Ghaziabad, Khair, and Phulpur; Samajwadi Party (SP) controlled Karhal, Katehari, Kundarki, and Sishamau; RLD held Meerapur; and NISHAD Party held Majhawan. With the Congress party abstaining from the contest, the by-elections essentially became a direct contest between the BJP and SP. These by-elections gained particular significance as they followed SP’s impressive performance in the 2024 General Elections, where they secured 37 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Political observers keenly watched these contests to determine whether SP’s recent success represented a momentary surge or signalled a more fundamental shift in the state’s political landscape.
The BJP ultimately won six seats, while the SP secured two and the RLD one. The BJP’s success may be attributed to their intensive campaign strategy, which included deploying 30 government ministers and 15 senior party officials across the nine constituencies in August 2024. These officials analysed the caste composition of different polling booths, while the party engaged with voters through volunteers (“karyavahak”) and village meetings (“gram chaupals”).
Election day was marred by incidents of violence. In the Meerapur constituency, police intervened to disperse two clashing groups in Kakroli village after stone-throwing erupted. More tragically, in the Karhal constituency, a 23-year-old woman was found dead—her family claimed she was murdered for refusing to vote for the SP candidate.
Rajasthan
Seven assembly constituencies – Chorasi, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Jhunjhunu, Khinwsar, Ramgarh, and Salumber – in Rajasthan held by-elections on November 13, 2024. Of these seats, four were previously held by Congress, one by BJP, one by the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP), and one by the Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP). Both RLTP and BAP were Congress allies. Despite having a successful alliance with RLTP and BAP in the 2024 general election – where Congress won 8 Lok Sabha seats and its allies won three – Congress chose to field candidates in all seven constituencies. This solo approach puzzled observers, especially given the alliance’s success in reversing BJP’s complete dominance from 2019, when BJP had won all 25 of Rajasthan’s Lok Sabha seats. The strategy proved costly: BJP won five seats, BAP secured one, and Congress managed to win only one seat.
Punjab
Four assembly constituencies in Punjab held by-elections on November 20, 2024: Barnala, Chabbewal, Dera Baba Nanak, and Gidderbaha. These by-elections were triggered when sitting MLAs resigned after winning Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general election. Prior to the by-elections, AAP held Barnala and Chabbewal, while Congress held Dera Baba Nanak and Gidderbaha.
The Election Commission of India initially planned the elections for November 13 but rescheduled them to November 20, citing potential low turnout during a religious festival. This decision sparked controversy when the Samajwadi Party, despite not contesting in Punjab, alleged that the ECI had delayed the elections under BJP pressure.
In a surprising turn of events, AAP emerged victorious in three constituencies, while the Congress managed to win only the Barnala seat, marking a significant shift in the region’s political landscape.
Remaining states
Several other states also held by-elections. In Assam, five assembly seats went to polls, with BJP winning three seats (Behali, Dholai, and Samaguri) and AGP securing Bongaigaon. The result for Sidli seat was pending. Bihar saw four constituencies holding by-elections, where BJP emerged victorious in two seats, while JD(U) and HAMS(S) won one each. This marked a significant shift from the previous representation where RJD held two seats (Belaganj and Ramgarh), HAM held Imamganj, and CPI(ML) held Tarari.
Single-seat by-elections were held in five states. BJP maintained its stronghold in Raipur City South (Chhattisgarh) and secured victories in Vav (Gujarat) and Kedarnath (Uttarakhand). In Meghalaya, NPP won the Gambegre seat, previously held by Congress.
In Madhya Pradesh, the results were split between BJP and Congress, with BJP retaining Budhni and Congress winning Vijaypur. Kerala’s by-elections saw CPI(M) winning Chelakkara and Congress securing Palakkad, maintaining their previous positions.