AAP defeats BJP in Gujarat, Congress clinches Kerala seat in high-stakes bypolls

New Delhi, June 23: In a major political upset, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has defeated the BJP in Visavadar, Gujarat, while the Congress has reclaimed its stronghold in Nilambur, Kerala, in the latest round of Assembly bypolls across the country.

Gujarat: AAP's Big Comeback in Modi's Home State

In a symbolic victory, AAP candidate Gopal Italia won the Visavadar by-election by over 17,500 votes, dealing a blow to the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. This seat was originally won by AAP in 2022, but the party lost it after its MLA Bhupendra Bhayani defected to the BJP.

Though Bhayani didn’t contest this time, the BJP fielded Kirit Patel, hoping to reclaim the seat it hasn't held since 2007. However, Patel failed to make a mark. Celebrating the win, AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi declared, “If there is any party that can defeat the BJP, it is AAP… we are going to form the government in 2027.”

Meanwhile, the BJP retained the Kadi seat, with Rajendra Chavda defeating the Congress' Ramesh Chavda by nearly 40,000 votes.

Kerala: Congress Reclaims Nilambur After a Decade

In Nilambur, Aryadan Shoukath, son of former Congress veteran Aryadan Mohammed, secured victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) by defeating CPI(M)'s M Swaraj with a margin of over 11,000 votes.

This win marks the Congress' return to a seat it last held in 2011 and provides a morale boost ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. The seat became vacant after independent MLA PV Anvar, who had won in 2016 and 2021, stepped down following his party’s merger with the Trinamool Congress.

Importantly, Nilambur falls within the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Priyanka Gandhi, further raising the political significance of the Congress’ win.

Other Key Results

•    In Punjab, AAP retained Ludhiana West, with Sanjay Arora defeating Congress’ Bharat Ashu by over 10,000 votes. The seat was vacated after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi.

•    In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress is set to retain Kaliganj, where Alifa Ahmed, daughter of the late MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, is leading the BJP’s Ashish Ghosh by over 50,000 votes. The constituency has a 54% Muslim population, a factor likely to influence the 2026 election dynamics.