Vidhan Sabha 2020 bypolls: BJP gains in MP and UP; also set to win in Karnataka, Telangana

Counting for the polling held on November 3 began at 8 am and progressed strictly in accordance with the Election Commission's guidelines, officials said. The number of people who can be present in the counting halls was restricted and extensive measures taken to ensure social distancing, they said.

It's a high-stakes electoral battle, particularly in Madhya Pradesh where the BJP led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is locked in a fierce contest for survival with Congress.

Elections were held for 28 seats. The BJP which has 107 MLAs in the assembly, with an effective strength of 229, needs at least eight more MLAs for a simple majority.

BJP candidate Oinam Lukhoi Singh won the byelection to the Wangoi seat in Manipur, while saffron party candidates were leading from two other constituencies and an Independent from one, officials said.

Singh won the Wangoi seat defeating his nearest rival Khuraijam Loken Singh of the National People's Party by 257 votes, as per the ECI website.

The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh is leading in 20 of the 28 Assembly constituencies for which byelections were held while the Congress is ahead in seven seats, as per the trends of counting on Tuesday. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is leading in Morena constituency.

The ruling BJP in Gujarat is leading in all the eight seats while the Congress is trailing behind as counting of votes polled for the Assembly bypolls progressed on Tuesday. The gap between the margin of votes polled by candidates of the Congress and the BJP is significant in at least five constituenciesLimbdi, Abdasa, Kaprada, Dang and Karjan.

The BJP was leading in five seats while the SP and an independent candidate were leading in one each as counting of votes polled in seven Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats progressed on Tuesday. Bypolls to seven seats in the state were held last week.

Congress candidate Dr KK Dhruw has increased his lead by over 20,000 votes in the Marwahi assembly bypoll results in Chhattisgarh, according to the updated data by the Election Commission. Dhruw has registered over 40,000 votes so far compared to over 20,000 in favour of BJP's Gambheer Singh.

Congress candidate Indu Raj leading over BJP's Yogeshwar Dutt from Baroda assembly constituency in Haryana, as per Election Commission website.

BJP candidate Lois Marandi was leading in the bypoll to Dumka Assembly seat while Congress nominee Anup Singh was ahead in Bermo constituency in Jharkhand, as per trends at 12 noon. Marandi was leading over his nearest rival Basant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) by over 4,749 votes in Dumka seat, as per the ECI website.

The ruling BJP has continued to maintain its lead over opposition Congress and JD(S) in the bypolls for two assembly constituencies in the state, poll officials said on Tuesday. Votes polled in the November 3 byelections to Sira in Tumakuru district and Rajarajeshwari Nagar (R R Nagar) in the city were taken up for counting at 8 am and the results are expected to be out in a few hours from now.

Independent candidates were leading in bypolls to Southern Angami I and Pungro Kiphire seats in Nagaland as per early trends. Independent candidate Seyievilie Peter Zashumo was leading over his nearest rival Medo Yhokha of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) by 922 votes in the Southern Angami I seat, as per the ECI website.

The ruling BJD candidates have established early leads over their nearest BJP rivals in both Balasore and Tirtol assembly constituencies, where counting of votes polled in the byelections held last week is in progress on Tuesday. As per early trends, BJD's Bijay Shankar Das was leading over BJP candidate Rajkishore Behera by 1,078 votes in Tirtol seat in Jagatsinghpur district, election officials said.

The BJP maintained its lead over the ruling TRS after the completion of seven rounds of counting of votes for Dubbak assembly bypoll in Telangana on Tuesday. BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao was leading over his nearest TRS rival Solipeta Sujatha by 2,485 votes after seven rounds.