New Delhi: The Election Commission of India announced the results of the June 19 by-elections across five assembly constituencies in four states, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging as the biggest winner by clinching two seats. The remaining three seats were split among the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Trinamool Congress (TMC), each securing one seat.
AAP registered significant wins in Visavadar (Gujarat) and Ludhiana West (Punjab), marking an uptick in its political influence beyond Delhi and Punjab. In Gujarat’s Visavadar, former state AAP president Gopal Italia triumphed over BJP’s Kirit Patel by a wide margin of 75,942 votes, while Congress lagged behind significantly.
In Punjab, Sanjeev Arora of AAP defeated veteran Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu in Ludhiana West by 35,179 votes, reinforcing the party’s governance credibility in the state.
Meanwhile, the Congress party managed to wrest control of the Nilambur seat in Kerala, where Aryadan Shoukath handed a major blow to the ruling CPI(M) by defeating M Swaraj with a commanding lead of 77,737 votes.
In Gujarat’s Kadi constituency, the BJP retained its stronghold as Rajendra Chavda defeated Congress candidate Ramesh Chavda with a massive margin of 99,752 votes. This by-election was held following the death of BJP MLA Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki.
In West Bengal, TMC’s Alifa Ahmed emerged victorious in Kaliganj, trouncing BJP’s Ashish Ghosh by a staggering 1,02,759 votes, showcasing the ruling party’s continued dominance in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated due to a mix of resignations and the demise of sitting legislators. While deaths led to contests in Gujarat, Punjab, and West Bengal, the election in Nilambur and one Gujarat seat was held following resignations.
Reacting to his party’s performance, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal took to X (formerly Twitter), highlighting growing public discontent with both BJP and Congress in Gujarat. He noted that the victories reflected the electorate's growing confidence in AAP as a credible alternative. “People of Gujarat are now turning towards the Aam Aadmi Party for change,” he stated.
He also cited the result in Ludhiana West as proof of rising satisfaction with AAP’s governance in Punjab. “Compared to 2022, people have supported us in even greater numbers,” Kejriwal said, thanking voters for their overwhelming support and emphasizing that the victory margins in both constituencies had nearly doubled.
