Political consequences to be unveiled as four states go for bypolls on June 19
As the campaigning for five seats across four states— Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala — came to an end it signalled the importance political parties are laying on them. These bypolls may appear limited in scope, but they carry political consequences as the results would be interpreted as referendums on ruling parties.
In Punjab’s Ludhiana (West), the stakes are running high for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). With the passing of MLA Gurpreet Singh Gogi, the constituency is up for grabs — and AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora in a bid to retain the seat.
The importance of this seat can be gauged from the fact that seven serving and former chief ministers have campaigned for the seat. The AAP fielded Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and two former Delhi CMs Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi; the BJP fielded Delhi and Haryana CMs, Rekha Gupta and Nayab Singh Saini for the campaign, former Congress CMs Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Bhaghel were fielded from the party.
A win here could have ripple effects far beyond the state. If Arora wins, it would create a Rajya Sabha vacancy — and speculation is rife that AAP may use this opportunity to send former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Parliament’s Upper House, offering him a national platform.
The bypoll is also a test of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s popularity at a time when AAP is reeling from a poor showing in the recent elections, including a dismal Lok Sabha performance. Facing Arora is seasoned Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu, while the Akali Dal and the BJP make it a four-cornered fight.
In West Bengal, bypoll to Kaliganj has brought to the fore polarising debate in the state. The ruling TMC has fielded Alifa Ahmed daughter of the deceased MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed. The TMC has played the twin card of women and minority engagement through her nomination for the polls. The BJP fielded Ashis Ghosh, while the Congress-Left alliance has fielded Kabil Uddin Sheikh. In the minority-dominated seat, the BJP hopes the polarisation could benefit it at the hustings. The bypoll is held against the backdrop of recent riots in neighbouring Bangladesh and the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
In Gujarat, two seats are facing a bypoll. The Visavada has been an outlier as despite BJP’s dominance in the state, it has not been able to win it. AAP’s candidate had won last time, however his resignation necessitated the polls. The AAP’s candidate is former state president Gopal Italia. The seat is facing three-cornered fights as Congress has fielded a candidate here. The grand old party is trying to revive its organisation in the state through a series of changes in the state unit.
The adjacent reserved Kadi seat will provide key information on how the Dalit community is engaging with a particular party.
In Kerala, the Nilambur bypoll is an emotionally charged contest. The seat became vacant after two-time MLA P.V. Anvar quit to rally against the ruling LDF. The Congress has fielded Aryadan Shoukath, son of late minister Aryadan Mohammed, hoping to reclaim its traditional bastion. LDF has fielded M Swaraj.
Polling in these seats will be held on Thursday and results will be declared on June 23. The results may be used by the winning party to build a narrative in its favour ahead of the assembly elections. West Bengal and Kerala will go to polls in 2026, while Punjab and Gujarat will have their assembly elections in 2027.
India