By-Election Results 2026 LIVE Updates: Counting begins, Baramati bypoll is focus

By-Election Results 2026 LIVE Updates: Counting of votes for bypolls to the Baramati and Rahuri Assembly seats in Maharashtra is now underway.

A voter turnout of 58.27% was recorded in the Baramati, where Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is contesting, while Rahuri registered a 56.20% turnout, as per election officials.

The counting of votes began at 8 am in both the assembly segments.

Maharashtra

The Baramati seat in Pune district fell vacant following the death of then Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on 28 January, necessitating the bypoll.

His wife Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting her first Assembly election, is among the 23 candidates in the fray. She had appealed to voters during the campaign to support her as a tribute to her late husband.

No major political party fielded a candidate against her, and she is expected to secure a comfortable victory given her family's hold over the constituency.

The Rahuri assembly seat in Ahilyanagar district fell vacant due to the death of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile in October last year.

His son Akshay Kardile contested the bypoll as a BJP candidate. His rivals include NCP (SP) nominee Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Santosh Chalke.

Karnataka

Two assembly segments in Karnataka — Bagalkot and Davanagere South — faced bypolls on 9 April.

The polls were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).

Although the outcome of these by-elections is unlikely to have an immediate impact on state politics, the contest is seen as a matter of prestige for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

While the Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to the ruling party, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.

There has been speculation that a decision on leadership change and the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle is likely after the May 4 results.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Bagalkot was 68.74%, and it was 68.43% in Davanagere South.

Gujarat

By-election to the Umreth Assembly seat in Gujarat was necessitated following the death of the then-sitting BJP MLA Govind Parmar.

The byelection, held on 23 April recorded 59.04% voting, with six candidates in the fray.

Nagaland

The counting of votes for the bypoll to the Koridang assembly constituency in Mokokchung district of Nagaland has begun.

The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L Imchen in November last year. Held on 9 April, it witnessed a strong voter turnout of 82.21%.

Six candidates are in the fray for the seat, including BJP nominee Daochier I Imchen, who is also the consensus candidate of Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA) government led by Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao, NPP's I Abenjang, and Independents Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.

Tripura

By-election to the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura has begun amid tight security.

A prohibitory order under Section 163 of BNS came into force at 6 am within a 100-metre radius of the counting hall to prevent any law and order problems, Returning Officer (RO) Debjani Choudhury said.