Congress has faired well where it was in direct contest with the BJP.

NEW DELHI — The early trends in the the by-polls to the three Lok Sabha seats and 29 Assembly constituencies have been encouraging for the Congress in the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka where the party has been better placed than the BJP. Meanwhile the Trinamool Congress swept the four seats in West Bengal, while the BJP and allies have gained grounds in the northeast.

In the three Lok Sabha seats, the trends shows that the BJP is leading in Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), Shiv Sena in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Congress in Mandi (Himachal Pradesh).

The Congress has however, faired well where it was in direct contest with the BJP. In Bihar too, Congress has not been the first choice despite the party contesting all alone. The main contest is between the RJD and the JDU.

In Rajasthan, the Congress is leading Vallabhnagar and Dhariyawad. Preeti Gajendra Singh Shaktawat, widow of late Congress MLA Gajendra Singh Shaktawat from Vallabhnagar, is leading with 29,248 votes, followed by RLP candidate Udailal Dangi with 29,170 votes.

BJP candidate Himmat Singh Jhala is at the third position with 13,477 votes.

In Karnataka, the Congress has taken the lead in Hanagal, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s home district, while the ruling BJP has registered a thumping victory in the Sindagi Assembly seat.

In Haryana, the BJP has suffered a major setback as Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Abhay Chautala is leading by more than 2,000 votes over BJP-JJP candidate Gobind Kanda and Congress’ Pawan Beniwal in the counting for the Ellenabad seat.

The bypoll was necessitated with the resignation of Chautala from the seat in January in protest against the three agricultural laws.

After winning the by-poll in 2010, Abhay retained the seat in 2014 and 2019.

Meanwhile in Telangana, the BJP has maintained its lead over the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the by-election to the Huzurabad Assembly seat. Eatala Rajender of the BJP is leading by 3,270 votes against his nearest rival G. Srinivas Yadav of the TRS at the end of the eighth round of counting.

The candidates of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and ally United Democratic Party (UDP) are leading in the Mawryngkneng, Rajabala and Mawphlang Assembly seats in Meghalaya.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) are leading in all the five Assam Assembly seats. BJP nominees Phanidhar Talukdar, Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi are leading in the Bhabanipur, Thowra and Mariani Assembly seats, respectively, against their Congress and independent rivals as the counting of votes cast in the October 30 bypolls was underway in the five constituencies. — IANS