In a first major NDA vs INDIA showdown, bypoll results of seven assembly constituencies spanning across six states will be announced today. The counting of votes for the Tripura, UP, West Bengal, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand assembly bypolls has already started in respective counting centres. The bypolls are likely to a have a huge bearing on the Opposition’a Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc’s future going into next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

As many as 28 Opposition parties have come together to form an alliance to take on the mighty BJP-led NDA. The results of these bypolls are also being seen as a direct verdict on the Opposition’s unity ahead of the assembly elections in five states later this year. The seven seats where bypolls were held include Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.

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Latest Updates on Tripura, UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Kerala bypoll results:

6:00 PM: INDIA bloc edges ahead of BJP: Of the total seven seats where bypolls were held, the INDIA alliance partners won four – SP in UP’s Ghosi, Congress in Puthuppally, TMC in West Bengal’s Dhupguri, and JMM in Jharkhand’s Dumri. The BJP, on the other hand bagged both seats in Tripura and Bagheshwar in Uttarakhand.

3:40 PM: BREAKING News: TMC candidate Nirmal Chandra Roy has defeated BJP’s Tapasi Roy by 4313 votes to win Dhupguri by-elections.

12:18 PM: Congress reaction on Kerala bypoll victory: “I was expecting these results because people of Puthupally were waiting to punish those people… It is a punishment by the people’s court in Puthupally against those people…My request to CPM and government, please tell the people of Kerala that ‘we are sorry about what we’ve done’…,” says Congress leader AK Antony on Puthuppally assembly by poll result.

12:11 PM: AJSU takes lead in Dumri: In a major turn around, Yashoda Devi of AJSU has taken lead against JMM’s Bebi devi in Jharkhand’s Dumri.

12:08 PM: Congress wins in Kerala: Chandy Oomen defeated CPI-M’s Jaick C Thomas in Puthuppally bypolls.

11:50 AM: BREAKING NEWS: BJP candidate Tajaffal Hossain has won the Boxanagar assembly bypolls by a huge margin of 30,237 votes.

11:40AM: BREAKING NEWS: BJP candidate Bindu Debnath wins Dhanpur assembly bypolls by 18871 votes.

11:20 AM: Update from Dhupguri, West Bengal: The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken early lead in West Bengal’s Dhupgur. BJP candidate Tapasi Roy is leading by over 1500 votes against her TMC rival Nirmal Chandra Roy.

11:08 AM: JMM ahead in Dumri: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidate Bebi Devi is leading by 2690 votes, according to ECI data.

10:40 AM: BJP takes lead in Uttarakhand: its candidate Parwati Das is leading by 1700 votes, according to the Election Commission of India data. Congress candidate Basand Kumar is close second.

10:15 AM: BJP ahead in both seats of Tripura: BJP candidate Tafajjal Hossain is leading by  30237 votes in Boxanagar and Bindu Debnath of the saffron party is ahead of her Left rival by 18625 votes in Dhanpur, according to the Election Commission of India.

10: 00 AM: Congress takes lead in Kerala: Early trends show Congress leading in Kerala’s Puthuppally.

9:50 AM: BREAKING NEWS: Samajwadi party candidate takes early lead in Ghosi bypolls. SP 160 votes ahead of BJP.

9:10 AM: Jalpaiguri, West Bengal: Security tightened as the counting for the Dhupguri Assembly by-polls is underway. Earlier visuals.

#WATCH | Jalpaiguri, West Bengal: Security tightened as the counting for the Dhupguri Assembly by-polls to begin shortly.

(Visuals from Netaji Subhas Open University) pic.twitter.com/g9GPdtxPOK

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023

8:50 AM: Kerala: Security stepped up at the counting centre as the counting for the Puthuppally by-polls is underway, earlier visuals.

#WATCH | Kerala: Security stepped up at the counting centre as the counting for the Puthuppally by-polls to begin shortly, earlier visuals. pic.twitter.com/7zjfob9ySI

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023

8:30 AM: Jharkhand: Counting for the Dumri Assembly by-polls underway.

#WATCH | Jharkhand: Counting for the Dumri Assembly by-polls underway. pic.twitter.com/n6zZuaS4jg

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023

8:00 AM: Counting of votes begins:  The counting of votes for the seven assembly seats across six states including Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura, begins.

While the Bageshwar, Dhupguri and Dhanpur seats were held by the BJP, the Ghosi seat was held by the Samajwadi Party, Boxanagar by Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dumri by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Puthuppally by the Congress.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Ghosi Assembly constituency, only 49.42 per cent of electorates cast their votes for the by-election on Tuesday. Jharkhand’s Dumri recorded 64.84 per cent turnout while Bageshwar in Uttarakhand registered 55.35 per cent voting.

On the other hand, Tripura’s Boxanagar and Dhanpur recorded 86.34 per cent and 81.88 per cent voter turnout respectively while Bengal’s Dhupguri recorded 74.35 per cent.

The bypoll in Ghosi was necessitated after Dara Singh Chauhan, who had won the seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, came back to the BJP after resigning from the Samajwadi Party. Chauhan was selected by the BJP to contest the bypoll. On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party had fielded Sudhakar Singh to contest against Chauhan.

(With ANI inputs)