7 Bypolls in 6 States Today, INDIA Bloc Locks Horns With NDA for 1st Time

New Delhi: The Opposition’s INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA are set for their first electoral faceoff as voters in seven assembly segments in six states are voting today for byelections.

The assembly seats where bypolls are being held are Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Puthuppally in Kerala, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Dumri in Jharkhand and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.

The counting of votes in all these constituencies will be on September 8.

The bypolls in Dhupguri, Puthuppally, Bageshwar, Dumri and Boxanagar were necessitated due to the deaths of the sitting MLAs. In Ghosi and Dhanpur, resignation of MLAs’ led to fresh polls.

In UP’s Ghosi, it is BJP vs Samajwadi Party contest. In Kerala’s Puthuppally and West Bengal’s Dhupguri the lack of unity in the INDIA alliance came to fore as its partners are pitted against each other. In Kerala’s Congress stronghold Puthuppally, the Left Front candidate is being supported by CM Pinarayi Vijayan himself.

The positive bypolls results could also help the Opposition INDIA bloc in shifting the focus away from the recent “Sanatana Dharma” controversy. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi triggered a massive political storm with his remarks equating “Sanatana Dharma” with malaria, dengue and corona.