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Counting of votes for eight assembly constituencies spread across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir began at 8 AM on Friday. The high-stakes bypolls, held earlier this week, spanned Punjab, Telangana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Mizoram, and two key seats in Jammu and Kashmir. Political parties across the spectrum are awaiting results that could redefine regional power balances.

Tarn Taran

In Punjab’s Tarn Taran Assembly seat, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are locked in a fierce fight. Polling held on Tuesday saw a 60.95 percent turnout.

Officials said the counting is being carried out under tight security at the International College of Nursing in Piddi. Voting data will be tallied over 16 rounds, according to Returning Officer Gurmeet Singh.

The seat fell vacant after AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal’s death in June, prompting a 15-candidate contest. This is Punjab’s seventh assembly bypoll since March 2022, with AAP having bagged five of the previous six. The outcome is being seen as a key test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership.

Jubilee Hills

In Telangana, focus is on the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat — a prestige fight between the ruling Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Counting began at 8 a.m. on November 14, starting with postal ballots followed by 10 rounds of vote counting.

District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner R V Karnan said 48.49 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots during polling on November 11. The bypoll was necessitated after BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath’s death in June. His widow, Sunita Gopinath, is contesting from the BRS, while the BJP fielded L. Deepak Reddy. The Congress has placed its hopes on Naveen Yadav, backed by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

Though the result won’t impact the Revanth Reddy government’s stability, it is viewed as a litmus test of the Chief Minister’s popularity.

Anta

Counting is also underway for the Anta Assembly seat in Rajasthan, where polling registered a robust 80.21 percent turnout. Votes are being tallied at Government PG College in Baran district under CCTV surveillance.

The bypoll was triggered after BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena was disqualified following a criminal conviction. Fifteen candidates are in the fray, with the fight primarily between BJP’s Morpal Suman and Congress’s Pramod Jain Bhaya. Congress rebel Naresh Meena has also entered the race, adding to the contest’s complexity.

This is the eighth assembly bypoll since the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government took office in December 2023.

Ghatshila 

In Jharkhand, the Ghatshila by-election counting began at 8 a.m. under strict security. Polling recorded a voter turnout of 74.63 percent.

District Election Officer Karn Satyarthi said the counting is taking place at Jamshedpur Cooperative College, beginning with postal ballots and continuing through 20 rounds across 19 tables. Initial trends are expected around 9 a.m., with final results likely by 5 p.m.

The main contest is between JMM’s Somesh Chandra Soren — son of late MLA Ramdas Soren — and BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former Chief Minister Champai Soren. The outcome is expected to influence the balance of power in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, where the JMM-led alliance currently holds 55 seats.

Nuapada 

Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly bypoll count began at 8 a.m. under a three-layered security system. District Election Officer and Collector Madhusudan Dash said the process started with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting at 14 tables over 26 rounds.

Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel are manning the inner cordon, while state and district police are deployed in the middle and outer layers. The bypoll was held after BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia’s death in September.

Fourteen candidates are contesting, with the ruling BJD, BJP, and Congress each confident of victory. The result will be closely watched in Odisha’s volatile political landscape.

Dampa

In Mizoram, counting for the Dampa Assembly seat began at 8 a.m. at the Mamit Deputy Commissioner’s complex, under tight security supervision.

Election Officer Lalnunfela Chawngthu said postal ballots were counted first, followed by votes from Electronic Voting Machines. The process is being conducted in five rounds across nine tables.

The bypoll, necessitated after MNF legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo’s death in July, recorded an exceptional 83.07 percent voter turnout. Five parties — the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, and People’s Conference — contested the seat.

Observers say the results will have strong implications for the upcoming Lai Autonomous District Council elections in December and next year’s Aizawl Municipal Corporation polls.