In a significant political development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress emerged victorious in the high-stakes 2025 Assembly bypolls held across five states, ahead of the crucial 2026 West Bengal and Kerala elections.
AAP clinched major wins in Punjab’s Ludhiana West and Gujarat’s Visavadar, while Congress wrested Kerala’s Nilambur seat from the Left. The BJP, despite contesting all five bypolls, managed to secure only Gujarat’s Kadi.
In Ludhiana West, AAP’s Sanjeev Arora won by over 10,000 votes, reinforcing the party’s foothold in Punjab. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called it a reflection of public satisfaction with the government’s performance.
In Gujarat, AAP’s Gopal Italia defeated BJP’s Kirit Patel in Visavadar with a margin exceeding 17,000 votes, in a major upset in the BJP stronghold.
In Nilambur, Kerala, Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress-led UDF won by over 11,000 votes, with the seat gaining significance as it falls under Priyanka Gandhi’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
The BJP’s sole win came from Kadi, where Rajendra Chavda retained the SC-reserved seat with a margin of 39,000 votes.
In West Bengal’s Kaliganj, Trinamool Congress’s Alifa Ahmed led significantly, further solidifying TMC’s position ahead of the 2026 polls.
The bypolls served as a political litmus test, with the INDIA bloc gaining momentum and the AAP bouncing back after recent setbacks.