Indian opposition wins 10 out of 13 bypoll seats; BJP reacts

NEW DELHI: In yet another boost for the opposition parties, the Congress-led INDIA bloc secured major wins in ten out of the 13 Assembly seats which went to bypolls in seven states of the country on July 10, the Election Commission of India (ECI) data showed on Saturday.

By-elections took place in key constituencies of West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Bihar on July 10.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP managed to secure victories on only two seats and the other was won by an Independent candidate in Bihar.

Congress on Saturday hailed the assembly bypoll results with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asserting it has become clear that the web of “fear and illusion” woven by the BJP has been broken, Indian media reported.

“The people of India have saved the Constitution and democracy. The deprived and poor population of the country stood with India to protect their rights. Congratulations to all the alliance partners and the lion workers of Congress,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“The results of the by-elections in 7 states have made it clear that the web of ‘fear and confusion’ woven by the BJP has been broken. Every class including farmers, youth, labourers, businessmen and employed people want to completely destroy dictatorship and establish the rule of justice,” he said in another post.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge praised party workers and said the victory shows that the people have completely rejected the “arrogance, misgovernance and negative politics of the BJP”.

BJP REACTION

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, responded by arguing that the ruling party did not even hold the 13 seats which went to bypolls.

BJP IT Cell said that all three seats that went to polls in Himachal Pradesh were earlier held by Independents, meanwhile in Uttarakhand, Congress held both seats, adding that the BJP this time won the seat earlier held by Congress.