AAP secures 2 seats in Gujarat and Punjab, TMC swift win in West Bengal, Congress-led UDF win in Kerala
The outcomes of the June 19, 2025 by-elections held in five assembly constituencies—Kadi and Visavadar (Gujarat), Ludhiana West (Punjab), Kaliganj (West Bengal), and Nilambur (Kerala)—with counting conducted on June 23, present a shifting political narrative. AAP made inroads in Gujarat, the Congress–UDF celebrated a resurgence in Kerala, while the TMC comfortably held ground in Bengal. For the LDF in Kerala and the Congress in Gujarat, however, the results marked a considerable blow.
Gujarat
The Congress faced a significant setback in Gujarat after losing both the Kadi and Visavadar seats. In the Visavadar seat, AAP candidate Gopal Italia won with a margin of over 17,554 votes against BJP’s Kirit Patel, retaining the seat, which was vacated after former MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP in 2023. Gopal Italia secured a total of 75,942 votes. In the Kadi seat as well, Congress candidate Rameshbhai Chavda lost to Rajendrakumar Daneshwar Chavda (Rajubhai) of the BJP. Rajubhai garnered a total of 99,742 votes. The election took place after the seat was left vacant due to the death of former MLA Karshanbhai Punjabhai Solanki, a two-time BJP legislator from the constituency.
Congress’ poor performance—with Visavadar candidate Nitin Ranpariya polling just 5,501 votes—mirrored its struggles in Kadi as well. The abysmal performance led to the resignation of Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil, who submitted his resignation to Mallikarjun Kharge immediately after the results. These outcomes not only underline AAP’s rise as a potential BJP challenger in parts of Gujarat but also further erode the Congress’s political relevance in the state.
West Bengal
In Kaliganj, West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress retained its stronghold following the death of incumbent MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed (Lal). His daughter, Alifa Ahmed, secured a sweeping victory over BJP’s Ashish Ghosh with a margin of 50,049 votes. Alifa Ahmed secured a total of 1,02,759 votes. Congress nominee Kabil Uddin Shaikh lagged behind with just over 28,000 votes, according to Election Commission figures. Nasiruddin had previously won the seat in 2021 with 111,696 votes and a 53% vote share.
Alifa’s win highlights the enduring legacy of her father in Kaliganj and reinforces TMC’s dominance in Nadia district’s rural areas. Despite the BJP’s attempts to gain ground in West Bengal, especially in Hindu-majority regions, Kaliganj remains firmly under TMC’s influence, while the Congress and the Left struggle to remain electorally significant.
TMC’s vote share is 55%, BJP has trailed at 28%, and Congress has stood at 15.2%.
Kerala
Kerala saw a significant change in the bypolls after Aryadan Shoukath, the son of former Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed, secured the Nilambur seat with 77,737 votes, defeating CPI(Marxist)’s M. Swaraj by 11,077 votes, while former MLA P.V. Anvar secured the third position. This election indicates that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is gaining ground ahead of the 2027 state elections.
The bypoll was triggered by Anvar’s resignation following his fallout with the LDF. He had accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan of corruption and formed the Democratic Movement of Kerala in October 2024, later merging it into the Trinamool Congress in January 2025. The Congress viewed the victory as a clear signal of increasing voter support, while analysts noted it exposed internal rifts within the Left and growing dissatisfaction with the LDF’s governance and party control mechanisms.
CPI(M) has received 37.9% votes, while independent P.V. Anvar has secured 11.2% votes.
Punjab
In Ludhiana West, a key urban seat vacated by the death of Congress MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, AAP retained its position through Sanjeev Arora. Arora, a Rajya Sabha MP at the time, won the contest with 35,179 votes, defeating Congress’s Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who polled 24,542 votes. As per parliamentary rules, Arora must resign from the Rajya Sabha within 14 days to assume his new role as MLA. Speculation briefly suggested that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal might fill the vacant Rajya Sabha seat, but he publicly denied this.
Arora’s victory strengthens AAP’s grip on Ludhiana, a politically strategic constituency, and deals a personal loss to Ashu, a former cabinet minister. The result offers a morale boost for AAP in Punjab amid ongoing legal scrutiny of its leadership.
AAP has secured 39.02% votes, Congress has garnered a total of 27.22% votes, BJP has received 22.54% votes, and Shiromani Akali Dal has succeeded in pocketing 9.1% votes.
