oppn parties Bypoll Results: Gains & Losses

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Tiranga Rally Is Excellent. Breaking The Law Was Not

October 17, 2026

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News Snippets

  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
oppn parties
Bypoll Results: Gains & Losses

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2025-06-24 07:35:16

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

In India, by-elections are often dismissed as minor acts, especially if they are for a handful of seats which are not in electorally dominant states like UP, Bihar or Maharashtra. But the results of yesterday's assembly bypolls - spanning Gujarat, Punjab, Kerala, and West Bengal - carry a resonance far beyond the handful of seats contested. They serve as a revealing microcosm of political undercurrents, voter mood, and shifting alliances as we approach a new cycle of state elections. More so when these were the first elections held after the brief skirmish against Pakistan which was expected to shore up the prospects of the ruling BJP. But that did not happen.

The Aam Aadmi Party's victories in Visavadar (Gujarat) and Ludhiana West (Punjab) are perhaps the biggest headline. While its win in Punjab consolidates its ruling position, the result in Visavadar shows people will punish defectors. AAP had won the seat in 2022 but its candidate, Bhupendrabhai Bhayani, had crossed over to the BJP. By voting AAP to victory again, the people have shown that they have zero-tolerance for defectors. Although the loss in Delhi hurt immensely, AAP is quietly building a narrative of national relevance, and this result gives it further momentum.

In Nilambur, Kerala, the Congress won convincingly, wresting the seat from the ruling CPI(M). The victory - led by Aryadan Shoukath - offers a sliver of optimism to a party that has struggled to find electoral traction outside Karnataka and Himachal in recent times. However, for the Congress to turn this into a revival rather than a blip, it must address organizational drift and present a coherent vision to the voter.

The BJP retained Kadi (Gujarat) with a strong margin, reaffirming its core support. Yet, the loss in Visavadar reveals early signs of erosion in areas it once considered unshakeable. The bypolls suggest the party cannot take its dominance for granted, especially in the face of growing regional assertiveness and an electorate increasingly willing to test new waters. Also, its performance in Kerala and Bengal was below par.

In West Bengal's Kaliganj, the Trinamool Congress swept to victory with a massive margin. Yet, celebrations turned into mourning when a bomb blast during the victory procession killed a 13-year-old girl. The win reinforces Mamata Banerjee's grip over Bengal's political landscape. But the tragedy underscores the urgent need for all parties to prioritise safety and civility in public political engagement.

These results, while limited in number, mirror the broader churn in Indian politics. Voters are no longer bound by old loyalties; they are watching, judging, and shifting. Regional players are asserting themselves. National parties are being challenged to stay relevant. And for the voter, performance is outweighing pedigree.

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