Lok Sabha bypoll results 2018: BJP wins Palghar seat, loses in Kairana, Bhandara-Gondia

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Palghar in Maharashtra, prompting Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena to allege that there has been anomaly in counting.

NEW DELHI: In a big setback to the ruling BJP, the opposition parties on Thursday snatched 11 seats, limiting the saffron party and its allies to just three, out of four Lok Sabha and 10Assembly seats across 11 states. The results also pointed towards the strengthening of a non-BJP alliance in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the need for the saffron party to devise new strategies to counter the Opposition unity. BJP candidate Gavit Rajendra Dhedya won the bypoll in Palghar Lok Sabha constituency while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) emerged victorious in Bhandara-Gondia seat in Maharashtra. In Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Tabassum Hasan defeated Mriganka Singh of the BJP in Kairana. BJP's ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate Tokheho Yepthomi defeated Naga People's Front's (NPF) C Apok Jamir by 173,746 votes in Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll.

Of the 10 assembly bypolls, the BJP could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six - JMM two in Jharkhand; CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively. The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

Reacting to the results in Palghar, the Shiv Sena hit out at the BJP, challenging it to contest elections through ballot papers and not Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The counting of votes for bypolls of four high-stake Lok Sabha seats – Kairana, Bhandara-Gondia and Palghar and Nagaland parliamentary constituency – began at 8 am on Thursday. The results of these Lok Sabha constituencies are being seen as a precursor to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Repolling at the four Lok Sabha constituencies took place on Wednesday, May 30. The voter turn-out in Kairana was 61 percent while Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha recorded 45 percent turnout and Nagaland 44.68 percent.

The bypolls in Kairana were necessitated after the seat fell vacant due to BJP leader Hukum Singh's death. Bypolls to Maharashtra's Palghar, a reserved seat, was necessitated following sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga's death in January. In Bhandara-Gondia the bye-election was necessitated after BJP’s sitting lawmaker Nana Patole joined Congress in December 2017. In Nagaland, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. He quit in February to contest in the Assembly elections.

Here are the live updates:

31 May 2018

18:59 PM

NDPP candidate Tokheho Yepthomi defeats NPF's C Apok Jamir by 173,746 votes. NPF, a former BJP ally, had won the seat in 2014.

17:43 PM

EC has rejected Shiv Sena's demand for results of Palghar bypoll to not be announced, reports news agency ANI.

17:18 PM

BJP thought the party will rule for 25 years but in just four years, it is clear that things are coming apart from them. EVMs have stopped before polling. The party has shamelessly claimed wins. I have asked EC to not announce the results in Palghar. In fact, I think EC members too need to be elected and not appointed because most of them are appointed by BJP: Uddhav Thackeray

17:15 PM

BJP's vote percentage is constantly falling. The party has insulted people of Maharashtra and 60% people have rejected them in Palghar: Uddhav Thackeray

17:11 PM

Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray alleges conspiracy in the counting of votes in Palghar, demands re-counting.

15:51 PM

To take a giant leap, you have to take two steps back. We will take a giant leap in future: Rajnath Singh on bypoll results.

15:06 PM

Nationalist Congress Party wins Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra. Members of the Congress party and the NCP celebrated after the results were declared.

Maharashtra: Congress and NCP workers celebrate in Bhandara after NCP wins from Bhandara-Gondiya bypoll Lok Sabha constituency pic.twitter.com/QLEi3CfPhw

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018

14:24 PM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins Palghar bypoll Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra by 29572 votes.

14:09 PM

Mriganka Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party concedes defeat against RLD's Tabassum Hasan in Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll, says "we were not able to communicate to people the work done by BJP".

14:01 PM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gavit Rajendra Dhedya has won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Palghar in Maharashtra.

13:58 PM

After completion of 12 rounds of counting of votes in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat, National Congress Party (NCP) candidate Madhukar Kukde got 2,08,883 votes while BJP's Hemant Patel got 1,88,300 votes.

13:29 PM

After 19 rounds of counting of votes in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency, Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has got 3,81,361 votes while Mriganka Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has got 3,36,039 votes. The RLD candidate, backed in the byelections by opposition parties Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, is leading with 45,322 votes.

13:28 PM

Gavit Rajendra Dhedya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading by 22000 votes from Palghar Lok Sabha seat after 16th round of counting.

12:29 PM

BJP ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leading over Naga People's Front (NPF) by 34,669 votes in Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll.

12:09 PM

Reacting to the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll trends showing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Shiv Sena, the latter has said that it ready to accept whatever decision people take. The Shiv Sena has, however, alleged that the victory of the BJP might be because of malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Dilip Lande of the Shiv Sena dared the BJP to contests the elections using ballot papers and not EVMs.

11:57 AM

BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading by 19742 votes from Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra after 12th round of counting.

11:43 AM

With 5,43,394 votes counted in 14 rounds of counting of votes in Kairana, Tabassum Hasan of the RLD has got 2,86,705 votes while BJP's Mriganka Singh has got 2,44,627 votes. With this, the RLD is leading by over 40,000 votes against the BJP.

11:38 AM

RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by over 26925 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh after ninth round of counting.

11:23 AM

BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading by 17843 votes over Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Chintaman Vanaga from Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha seat after nine rounds of counting.

11:22 AM

In Nagaland, Naga People's Front (NPF) party is leading by over 11,000 votes. Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) is trailing.

11:09 AM

BJP leading by 17417 votes from Palghar Lok Sabha seat in the seventh round of counting

10:56 AM

The NCP is leading by 3959 votes from Bhandara–Gondia Lok Sabha constituency in fourth round of counting in Maharashtra.

10:35 AM

Gavit Rajendra Dhedya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading from Palghar Lok Sabha seat by over 14,000 votes against Shiv Sena candidate.

10:26 AM

Tabassum Hasan of the RLD is leading against BJP's Mriganka Singh on Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh by more than 14,000 votes.

10:25 AM

The NCP is leading by over 3200 votes against the BJP in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra.

10:16 AM

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is leading from Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat by 3100 votes, BJP second.

10:03 AM

BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading from Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra by over 6000 votes.

09:39 AM

RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by over 3000 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh.

09:14 AM

There is neck-and-neck race between Mriganka Singh of the BJP and RLD's Tabassum Hasan in Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. As per the latest trend, Mriganka Singh is now trailing.

08:57 AM

Of the four Lok Sabha seats that went for bypolls, the BJP is leading on three seats - Kairana, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia.

08:45 AM

BJP candidate Mriganka Singh now leading against Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

08:36 AM

Maharashtra: Visuals from a counting centre in Bhandara–Gondia Lok Sabha constituency, where counting of votes for the Lok Sabha by-poll has begun. pic.twitter.com/3bjnPXbCeA

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018

08:34 AM

The BJP is leading in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra.

08:30 AM

The Shiv Sena is leading against the BJP in Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. Palghar is a reserved seat, which was previously held by the BJP. The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga died in January. He had been elected from the constituency thrice as a BJP member. However, after his death, his family joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

08:26 AM

In Maharashtra's Palghar, Shiv Sena candidate Srinivas Wanga is leading while BJP's Rajendra Gavit is trailing. 

08:06 AM

Mriganka Singh of BJP trails against RLD's Tabassum Hasan from Kairana Lok Sabha seat.

08:00 AM

Counting of votes begins in four Lok Sabha constituencies.

07:54 AM

Elections were necessitated in Kairana after the seat fell vacant in February following the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from the seat.

07:53 AM

Following the party’s defeat in from Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP had profusely campaigned for Kairana seat in Uttar Pradesh. In Maharashtra’s Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia seats, all four major parties - BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress - left no stone unturned to woo the electorates in their favour.

07:52 AM

The Lok Sabha constituencies where counting would be conducted on Thursday are Kairana (Uttar Pradesh), Bhandara-Gondia and Palghar (Maharashtra) and Nagaland parliamentary constituency.