Bypoll results are out for five assembly seats that recently went to polls across the country. Of these, Kerala’s Nilambur witnessed a major upset. The Congress wrested the seat from the state’s ruling alliance, the LDF. Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath defeated his closest rival, CPI(M)’s M Swaraj, by around 10,000 votes.
Gujarat: AAP –1, BJP –1
In Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat, defeating BJP's Kirit Patel by over 17,000 votes. The seat had fallen vacant after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling BJP.While the BJP lost this seat, its leader Rajendra Chavda won the Kadi seat in the state, beating Congress’ Ramesh Chavda by nearly 40,000 votes.
AAP scores a win in Punjab
The Aam Aadmi Party also secured the Ludhiana West seat in Punjab. Its candidate Sanjeev Arora defeated Congress' Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of around 11,000 votes.
TMC retains Bengal seat
In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress candidate Alifa Ahmed dominated the race. The by-election was held following the death of her father and sitting TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February this year.
Tharoor calls Modi “prime asset”
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “prime asset for India.” In an opinion piece published in The Hindu, the MP from Kerala also called for greater support for Modi’s energy, dynamism, and global outreach. Tharoor, who recently led India’s multi-nation outreach mission after Operation Sindoor, said the initiative reflected India’s unity on the world stage.
Israel attacks Tehran
Israel has said it continues to strike various locations in Iran. In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force announced the launch of a wave of attacks on military targets in Tehran. This follows multiple reports of explosions in and around the Iranian capital. Meanwhile, Iranian media reports say the country’s Parliament is considering a bill to suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA. Tehran now wants objective guarantees of professional conduct from the UN nuclear watchdog to continue its engagement.
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Dalal Street ends off day’s lows
As the US strike on Iran rattled investor sentiment, Indian equities opened deep in the red. But by the end of the session, Dalal Street recovered some ground. The Sensex closed around half a percent lower, and the Nifty too was off its intraday lows, hovering near the 25,000 mark.
