Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A to face first electoral test in September 5 bypolls

Polling will be held on Tuesday for by-election to seven Assembly seats in six states, the first electoral test of the I.N.D.I.A opposition bloc against the BJP.

While the opposition alliance is putting up a united front in Ghosi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand’s Dumri, Dhanpur and Boxanagar in Tripura and Uttarakhand's Bageshwar, its constituents are contesting against each other in Dhupguri in West Bengal and Puthuppally in Kerala.

Counting of votes will be held on September 8.

In Uttar Pradesh, Ghosi seat fell vacant after the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined the BJP.

While the ruling BJP-led NDA has fielded Chauhan, Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh has got the support of the Congress and Left parties. Chauhan was a minister in the previous BJP government headed by Yogi Adityanath. He had resigned from the Council of Ministers on January 12, 2022 and switched to the SP.

Campaigning has been high-pitched as both sides are aware that it is a litmus test for the opposition unity and a victory could set the trend in their favour for the Lok Sabha polls next year. In the 543-member Lok Sabha, Uttar Pradesh has 80 MPs.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the BJP's charge. Interestingly, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had skipped campaigning for the other two prestigious bypolls in Rampur and Azamgarh last year, addressed an election meeting in Ghosi.

He said the election would bring a change in the country's politics.

The Dhupguri assembly constituency in north Bengal is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the TMC, BJP and the Congress-supported CPI(M).

While the TMC had won the seat in 2016, it was snatched by the BJP in 2021.

In Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly seats in Tripura's Sepahijala district, Chief Minister Manik Saha led the party's campaign from the front.

Tipra Motha, the main opposition, and Congress have stayed away. The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Sunday urged people to vote for opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A candidates in the two seats.

BJP's Tafajjal Hussain, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in February, will take on CPI(M)’s Mizan Hussain in minority-dominated Boxanagar constituency, still considered the Left party's stronghold.

Dhanpur, once a strong bastion of the communists, is heading for a direct fight between BJP's Bindu Debnath and CPI(M)’s Kaushik Debnath.

"All necessary arrangements have been made for conducting free, fair and peaceful elections," Additional Chief Electoral Officer UG Mog told PTI.

The international border has been sealed to prevent any intrusion from Bangladesh as both constituencies share a boundary with the neighbouring country, a senior police officer said, adding that there will be adequate security to ensure peaceful voting.

In Jharkhand’s Dumri, I.N.D.I.A bloc candidate Bebi Devi is locked in a direct contest with NDA candidate Yashoda Devi.

The seat has turned out to be a prestigious one for both alliances amid Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) claiming that the I.N.D.I.A bloc will begin its victory journey from Dumri, while the NDA exuded confidence that it is all set to snatch the seat from JMM.

The I.N.D.I.A bloc includes 28 parties including the Congress, NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT), TMC, JMM, AAP, DMK, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, SP and RLD.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of JMM MLA Jagarnath Mahto, former education minister, in April. Mahto had been representing the seat since 2004.

However, the Congress and the ruling Left will take on each other at the Puthuppally bypoll in Kerala, with the opposition party in the state banking on 'anti-incumbency' and the late Oommen Chandy's legacy.

The Congress-led UDF opposition has fielded Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen, to benefit from the sympathy wave following the former CM's death.

On the other hand, the ruling Left once again decided to go with DYFI leader Jaick C Thomas who had unsuccessfully contested from the segment in 2016 and 2021 against the late Chandy.

The BJP has fielded its Kottayam district president G Lijinlal.

The BJP and the Congress are in a straight contest in Uttarakhand. The ruling BJP has fielded Parvati Das as it seeks to retain the seat. It was won by her husband Chandan Das in four consecutive elections since 2007 and his death necessitated the bypoll.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other top BJP leaders campaigned for Das.

Congress heavyweights like Harish Rawat, PCC president Karan Mahara and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Yashpal Arya had also been camping in Bageshwar for the past few days to garner support for party candidate Basant Kumar.

In July, the opposition alliance formed to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections announced that it would be called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A).