Bypoll results today: Vote count for 7 seats across 5 states begins
Synopsis
Seven assembly bypolls across five states count votes today — and the Baramati result alone could redraw Maharashtra's political map. With the NCP's Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar fighting for her late husband's seat, and ruling parties under pressure in Karnataka, Gujarat, Nagaland, and Tripura, Monday's tallies are far more than routine by-elections.
Key Takeaways
Counting begins on 4 May for 7 assembly bypolls across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland , and Tripura .
Baramati is the most watched seat — NCP leader and Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar contests the seat vacated by her late husband Ajit Pawar , who died on 28 January .
In Karnataka , BJP faces Congress in Bagalkot and Davanagere South in what is seen as a prestige contest.
Tripura's Dharmanagar seat is a three-way race between BJP, Congress, and CPI(M)-led Left Front after the death of Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen .
The Goa Ponda bypoll was cancelled by the Bombay High Court hours before polling was due.
Counting of votes for bypolls to seven assembly seats across five states is set to begin on Monday, 4 May, with results expected to reshape key political equations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura. The contests were necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs and have drawn intense scrutiny from national and regional parties alike.
Background and Schedule
The bypolls were conducted in two phases — April 9 and April 23 — across the five states. Each seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent legislator, triggering closely watched multi-party contests. Notably, a scheduled bypoll in Goa's Ponda constituency was cancelled by the Bombay High Court just hours before polling was to commence, reducing the total count from eight to seven seats.
Maharashtra: Baramati in Focus
The most high-profile contest is in Baramati, Pune district, considered a stronghold of the influential Pawar family. The seat fell vacant after the death of sitting MLA Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on 28 January. His wife, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is contesting from the constituency, making this one of the most politically charged races in the current round of bypolls.
Karnataka: Congress vs BJP Prestige Battle
In Karnataka, bypolls were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South following the deaths of senior Indian National Congress (Congress) MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa respectively. The contests are widely viewed as a prestige battle between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP has fielded Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot and Srinivas T Dasakariyappa from Davanagere South. Congress has countered with Umesh Meti in Bagalkot and Samarth Mallikarjun in Davanagere South.
Gujarat, Nagaland and Tripura Contests
In Gujarat, the Umreth seat in Anand district went to polls after the death of BJP MLA Govind Parmar. The main contest is between BJP candidate Harshad Parmar, son of the late MLA, and Congress nominee Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan.
In Nagaland, the Koridang seat in Mokokchung district saw a multi-cornered contest following the death of BJP MLA Imkong L Imchen. Six candidates are in the fray, including BJP's Daochier I Imchen, who is also the consensus nominee of the ruling alliance, alongside Congress, Nationalist People's Party (NPP), and Independent candidates.
In Tripura, the Dharmanagar seat witnessed a triangular contest between the BJP, Congress, and the CPI(M)-led Left Front, following the death of Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December. Key candidates include BJP's Jahar Chakraborti, Congress's Chayan Bhattacharjee, and CPI(M)'s Amitabha Datta.
What the Results Could Signal
With ruling parties defending seats in multiple states, the outcomes will be read as an early indicator of ground-level sentiment ahead of upcoming state assembly cycles. The Baramati result, in particular, will be closely watched for its implications on the internal dynamics of the NCP and the broader Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
Point of View
The Baramati result will test whether the Pawar name retains its electoral currency under the Mahayuti banner or whether sympathy for Sunetra Pawar translates into votes. In Karnataka, the Congress government's ability to hold seats it already won will be scrutinised by a BJP looking for early signs of incumbency fatigue. The pattern across all five states is the same: ruling parties defending their ground, with opposition parties hoping that local grief over the loss of sitting MLAs does not automatically transfer to the ruling side. Results today will be parsed not just for who wins, but for margins — and what those margins say about the political weather heading into the next assembly cycle.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states are counting bypoll votes on 4 May 2025?
Counting is underway for assembly bypolls in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura on 4 May 2025. A total of seven seats are being counted after bypolls were held on April 9 and April 23.
Why was the Baramati bypoll held?
The Baramati seat in Pune district fell vacant after the death of sitting MLA Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on 28 January. His wife, NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's candidate.
Why was the Goa Ponda bypoll cancelled?
The Bombay High Court cancelled the Goa Ponda bypoll just hours before polling was scheduled to begin, reducing the total number of seats going to polls from eight to seven.
What is at stake in the Karnataka bypolls?
The Karnataka bypolls in Bagalkot and Davanagere South are seen as a prestige battle between the ruling Congress and the BJP. Both seats fell vacant after the deaths of senior Congress MLAs, and a BJP win in either would be read as a sign of early incumbency fatigue for the state government.
Who are the key candidates in the Tripura Dharmanagar bypoll?
The Tripura Dharmanagar seat has three main candidates: BJP's Jahar Chakraborti, Congress's Chayan Bhattacharjee, and CPI(M)'s Amitabha Datta. The seat fell vacant after the death of Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December.
