Bypoll season: BJP faces test in Bihar, Maharashtra

RAIPUR: Political temperature across six states is set to rise following the Election Commission’s announcement of by-elections for seven Assembly seats on November 3. Besides Bihar and Maharashtra, the other states include UP (one in Gola Karan Nath in Lakhimpur Kheri), Telangana (Munigode/Nalgonda), Odisha (Dhamnagar-SC) and Haryana (Adampur).

Bihar and Maharashtra will witness two and one by-elections each, respectively. For the BJP it will be a testing ground, especially after the party’s break-up with Nitish Kumar-led JD-U a couple of months back. The seats going to the polls are Mokama and Gopalganj. 

Similarly in Maharashtra, the BJP will get a hint of the people’s mood following its ascension to power with a Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, in Andheri-East. In Bihar, the two by-elections will be equally significant for the ruling ‘grand alliance’ that includes the JD-U, RJD and Congress besides four other parties. As per the schedule announced by the ECI, nominations will start on Oct 7. Contestants can withdraw their names till Oct 17 and the polling will take place on Nov 3. The vote is due Nov 6.

The Mokama seat fell vacant after the termination of membership of RJD MLA Anant Singh following his conviction in a criminal case. The death of sitting BJP MLA Subhash Singh necessitated a by-poll in Gopalganj. 

While Mokama is considered an RJD bastion, Gopalganj had earlier been represented by the BJP for four consecutive terms.  In Maharashtra, Andheri East belonged to Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, who died in May this year in Dubai after a heart attack.

While the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has fielded Latke’s wife Rutuja in the election, the BJP is fielding former corporator Murji Patel.  The Andheri by-poll will take place before the cash-rich civic body BMC goes to the polls. It will be a litmus test for the Shiv Sena, which has split vertically after a revolt.

Bihar crucial 
Bihar and Maharashtra will witness two and one by-polls each, respectively. For the BJP it will be a testing ground, especially after the party’s break-up with Nitish Kumar-led JD-U a couple of months back. The seats going to the polls are Mokama and Gopalganj. It will be equally significant for the grand alliance