Opposition unnerves BJP in by-polls; saffron outfit saves face in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand
A collective opposition-backed Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Hasan has upset the BJP in much-talked Uttar Pradesh's Kairana Lok Sabha seat. Hasan is leading by a margin of nearly 40,000 votes in the constituency, which was earlier won by the BJP.
Causing more worry for the saffron outfit, the BJP is set to lose the Noorpur Assembly constituency to former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP).
Yogi Adityanath's UP, which yielded 71 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP four years ago, is of late proving to be an ominous state for Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo.
Outshining the landslide victory in 2017 UP Assembly polls, the BJP in early 2018 had lost Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, which were the strongholds of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Adityanath and Maurya were the MPs from Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies before assuming portfolios in the state government.
Maharashtra has however salvaged some of BJP's integrity as the Palghar parliamentary constituency is likely to be won by the saffron brigade. In this constituency, the BJP is ahead of its ally-partner Shiv Sena, which had already announced that it will go solo in 2019 General Elections.
But in Maharashtra too, it is not all roses but thorns for the BJP. The BJP, despite earning an initial lead, is trailing Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Bhandara-Gondiya parliamentary constituency.
The Congress has won Palus-Kadegaon Assembly seat in Maharashtra.
In the southern state of Karnataka, the Congress flag is flying high as it has successfully won the RR Nagar Assembly seat.
Despite forming the Karnataka government together, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) fought the RR Nagar battle separately.
The Congress is also leading in Ampati Assembly seat in Meghalaya.
Turning to the east, it is the dominance of the regional parties that can be felt.
Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has stunned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) by taking a lead in Jokihat Assembly seat in Bihar. The constituency was earlier held by the JD(U), an ally partner of the BJP.
Continuing its dominance in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has swept Meheshtala Assembly seat. TMC candidate Dulal Das is leading by a huge margin of 52,000. The BJP has emerged as a distant second in Maheshtala, pushing the Left to third position.
The JMM is leading in both Gomia and Silli Assembly seats of Jharkhand.
While the NDPP is leading in Nagaland Lok Sabha seat, the BJP is ahead in Uttarkhand's Tharali Assembly seat.
The CPI-M has held its Chengannur Assembly seat in Kerala, defeating the Congress.
Moving north India, the Congress is leading in Shahkot Assembly seat of Punjab.
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