Madhya Pradesh's Kolaras and Mungaoli, Odisha's Bijepur byelections 2018: List of winning candidates

The main contest in both Kolaras and Mungaoli is between the BJP and Congress whereas in Odisha it is a triangular fight between the Biju Janata Dal, BJP and Congress.

Counting for Kolaras and Mungaoli Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, and Bijepur in Odisha is going on and the winners will be declared soon. The main contest in both Kolaras and Mungaoli is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress whereas in Odisha it is a triangular fight between the Biju Janata Dal, BJP and Congress. While the BJP candidate is leading in Kolaras, Congress is ahead in Mungaoli. BJD candidate Rita Sahu won in Bijepur by a huge margin of 41,933 votes. Rita got 1,02,871 votes while her closest rival and BJP nominee Ashok Panigrahi managed to get 60,938. The Congress candidate Pranaya Sahu got 10,274 votes.

Kolaras and Mungaoli went to polls on February 24 and recorded a turnout of 70.4 and 77.05 percent respectively. In Mungaoli 13 candidates are in the fray but the main battle is between Congress nominee Brijendra Singh Yadav and BJP's Bai Sahab Yadav. Congress' Mahendra Singh Yadav and BJP's Devendra Jain are among the 22 candidates trying their luck in Kolaras.

The bypolls to Bijepur Assembly constituency were necessitated following Congress MLA Subal Sahu's death in August 2017. His wife Rita Sahu is fighting on a BJD ticket. Almost 72 percent of the electorate had cast their vote on February 24. The BJP candidate is Ashok Panigrahi while the Congress is banking on Pranay Sahu.

Here is the list of leading/winning candidates:

Madhya Pradesh:

1. Congress candidate Brijendra Singh Yadav is now leading in Mungaoli

2. BJP candidate Devendra Jain is leading in Kolaras

Odisha:

1. Rita Sahu from BJD has won the bypolls to Bijepur Assembly Constitution.

Madhya Pradesh will elect a new Assembly later in 2018 and the two byelections are important for both the ruling BJP and its main rival Congress. The BJP has been in power in the state since December 2003. Odisha will also go to poll in 2019 and the BJD is facing a tough challenge from the BJP. The BJD under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been in power in Odisha since March 2000.