The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered emphatic victories in both West Bengal Assembly bypolls, while Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won two seats in Tamil Nadu and the ruling All India NR Congress (AINRC) retained its stronghold in Puducherry, according to results announced on Friday.
BJP secures decisive Bengal victories
In West Bengal, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath defeated Congress nominee Milan Pradhan by a record margin of 1,22,753 votes in Nandigram. Rath secured 1,64,427 votes against Pradhan's 41,674. Her victory comes months after her son, Chandranath Rath, a personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was killed in May.
The BJP also scored a breakthrough in Muslim-majority Rejinagar, where Shankharavh Sarkar defeated Aam Janata Unnayan Party candidate Golam Nabi Azad by 75,816 votes. Sarkar polled 1,29,914 votes, consolidating the BJP's position in the state.
TVK wins both Tamil Nadu seats
In Tamil Nadu, the ruling TVK won both Madurantakam and Dharapuram. Maragatham Kumaravel defeated DMK candidate Paranthaman by 17,554 votes in Madurantakam, while Sathyabama defeated the DMK's Sukanya by 10,196 votes in Dharapuram. The victories provide a boost to Vijay's government, with party leaders describing the results as an endorsement of its performance.
The bypolls were necessitated after the legislators elected on AIADMK tickets resigned and joined the TVK.
AINRC retains Puducherry stronghold
Meanwhile, in Puducherry, the ruling AINRC retained Thattanchavady, considered Chief Minister N Rangasamy's stronghold. Party candidate Ashok Anand secured 13,358 votes, defeating Vinayagam by 8,482 votes. DMK candidate K Sethu finished third with 2,664 votes.
The results offer political momentum to the BJP in West Bengal and the TVK in Tamil Nadu, while the AINRC's victory reinforces its hold over the Puducherry constituency.
