Ruling parties sweep bypolls as BJP bags Bengal seats, TVK wins in Tamil Nadu

Ruling parties triumphed in five assembly by-elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Assam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured both Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly seats in West Bengal with significant margins. BJP-NDA victory highlights a strong, deep-rooted connection between the people and the alliance, as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The TVK's candidates won comfortably in Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies in Tamil Nadu, while the ruling AINRC nominee won in Puducherry's Thattanchavady. In Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, civil servant-turned-politician Devasish Sharma won by over 1.4 lakh votes. The BJP hailed the results as democracy overcoming "mobocracy," while Modi pointed to the people's enduring support for the BJP-NDA's good governance agenda.

In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath won a record margin of over 1.22 lakh votes, while Shankharavh Sarkar's victory in Rejinagar exceeded 75,000 votes. The results indicate the BJP's success in engaging minority voters, with 70% of Rejinagar's and 27% of Nandigram's electorate being Muslims. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari claimed the BJP received the backing of 80% Muslims in Nandigram and over 60% in Rejinagar.

In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK improved its Assembly strength to 109 out of 234 members, winning both Madurantakam and Dharapuram reserved constituencies. The DMK and AIADMK both secured victories in their respective by-polls, with AIADMK coming in third. In Puducherry, the AINRC nominee won Thattanchavady by 13,358 votes, followed by the Congress candidate.

Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll was called after the party-switch of Pradyut Bordoloi, and the BJP won the seat after Bordoloi's exit.