Bypolls: BJP retains Jammu and Kashmir's Nagrota seat, MNF wins Mizoram's Dampa

Mizorams main opposition party Mizo National Front on Friday retained the Dampa assembly seat while the BJP won Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir and was also ahead in Odishas Nuapada according to results and trends available for the bypolls held earlier this week in eight assembly seats reported news agency PTICongress candidates were leading in the Jubilee Hills assembly constituency in Telangana and Anta assembly constituency in Rajasthans Baran district the trends available for the November 11 bypolls showedWhile AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu was leading against his nearest rival and Shiromani Akali Dal nominee Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa in Punjabs Tarn Taran JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren was leading over his nearest rival Babulal Soren of the BJP in Jharkhands Ghatshila assembly seat reported PTIIn Kashmir the PDP was leading in Budgam assembly bypoll with opposition candidate Aga Syed Muntazir establishing a lead of more than 2000 votes over ruling National Conference candidate Aga Syed MehmoodThe bypoll in the assembly constituency was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat after winning from both Budgam and Ganderbal in the assembly elections last year Abdullah chose his family bastion of GanderbalThe bypolls were held in Budgam and Nagrota Jammu and Kashmir Anta Rajasthan Ghatshila Jharkhand Jubilee Hills Telangana Tarn Taran Punjab Dampa Mizoram and Nuapada OdishaBJP candidate Devyani Rana won the Nagrota seat defeating Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party JKNPP candidate Harsh Dev SinghRana who was garlanded on her arrival at the counting centre thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi Home Minister Amit Shah BJP president J P Nadda and other party leaders for their faith in her reported PTIMy victory goes to all those voters who cast their votes in my favour and to the leadership for the confidence they have shown in me she told reportersRana is the daughter of former MLA Devender Singh Rana whose death necessitated the bypollIn Mizoram the main opposition party Mizo National Front MNF retained the Dampa assembly seat in Mamit district with its candidate R Lalthangliana defeating his nearest rival Vanlalsailova of the ruling Zoram Peoples Movement by a margin of 562 votes according to the Election Commission reported PTILalthangliana secured 6981 votes which is 4023 per cent of the total vote share With 6419 votes Vanlalsailova bagged 3661 per cent of the total polled votesThe Dampa seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Mizo National Front MNF legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo on July 21Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya was leading Anta assembly constituency in Rajasthans Baran district with a margin of 4989 votes after seven rounds of countingIndependent candidate Naresh Meena is trailing behind Bhaya while BJP candidate Morpal Saman is on third numberThe bypoll was necessitated after BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena was disqualified following his conviction in a criminal caseIn Odishas Nuapada BJP candidate Jay Dholakia was leading by over 40000 votesAfter 12 rounds of counting Dholakia bagged 59366 votes while his nearest rival Snehangini Chhuria of the BJD managed 19053 votesCongress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi was in third spot with 17437 votesJay is the son of the late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia whose death necessitated the bypollThe bypoll holds political significance for the ruling BJP as it is the first electoral contest in the state since the party formed its government in the state last yearIn Punjab AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu appears to be heading for a victory in the Tarn Taran assembly bypoll as he was leading with a margin of 10236 votes against his nearest rival and SAD nominee Sukhwinder Kaur RandhawaSandhu bagged 32520 votes against Randhawas 22284 after the 12th round of counting was completed the Election Commission saidThe AAP workers broke into celebrations over Sandhus lead outside the counting centre anticipating his victory in the fierce electoral boutThe Tarn Taran seat fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in JuneThe bypoll is being seen as a litmus test for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ruling AAPIn Telangana Congress candidate V Naveen Yadav was ahead of his BRS rival Maganti Sunitha by 2995 votes after the completion of second round of counting of votes in the Jubilee Hills assembly constituencyYadav secured 17874 votes while the BRS nominee got 14879 votes as per official dataThe bypoll was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this yearIn Jharkhand JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren was leading by 7541 votes over his nearest rival Babulal Soren of the BJP in the byelection to the Ghatshila assembly seatAfter the third round of counting the JMM candidate secured 16110 votes while the BJP nominee got 8569 votes JLKM candidate Ramdas Murmu was in the third position with 5278 votesThe bypolls has turned into a prestige battle for both the ruling JMM and the BJP even though the election result will not have any major impact on the Hemant Soren government The JMMled ruling alliance currently has 55 MLAs in the 81member state assembly while the BJPled NDA has 24Somesh is the son of JMM MLA Ramdas Soren whose death on August 15 necessitated the bypollWith inputs from PTI